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The Times of India
The Times of India
National
Madan Kumar | TNN

Narendra Modi's Ujjwala Yojana has flopped countrywide due to rise in cost of LPG cylinders: JD(U)

PATNA: The ruling JD(U) on Sunday criticised the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre for alleged failure of ‘Ujjwala Yojana’ saying that the much-trumpeted scheme has flopped miserably throughout the country.

JDU spokesman and former MLC Ranbir Nandan sought to know from the Union government as to who was responsible for ‘extinguishing the stove’ and whether the Centre intended to punish those responsible for it.

“At the time of its launch, the Union petroleum minister had claimed that 8.8 crore connections would be provided by November 2021. It was also claimed that 87 lakh connections have been provided in Bihar. The Centre should disclose figures about refilling of cylinders as 90 percent of the beneficiaries are not refilling because of the sharp rise in the prices of LPG cylinders,” he said.

Ranbir said that reports suggested that only 10 percent beneficiaries have been refilling the cylinders since the price of cylinders has gone up sharply. “The Ujjwala scheme was launched in May 2016 when the cost of a cylinder stood at Rs 425. The cost of a cylinder stands today at Rs 1,150 – nearly two and a half times more even though the income of people remained the same,” he said.

Launching a scathing attack on the Union government over the issue of high prices of cooking gas, the JDU leader said that the cost of normal cylinders was Rs 414 in May 2014 but it is being sold in Patna at Rs 1151 per cylinder today registering nearly three-fold increase in the price of cooking gas cylinders.

He said that the inherent flaws in the scheme and non-serious approach on part of the Centre have led to its abject failure. “The scheme has proved to be a hollow gimmick of the government,” he added.

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