Sambalpur MP to skip launch of Ujjwala Yojana today

Sambalpur: Lok Sabha MP Nagendra Pradhan has decided to skip the inauguration programme of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana at Ainthapali here today.

He said the local legislator has not been invited though it is a government programme. "The local MLA has not been informed about the event while Nuapada legislator Basant Panda, who is the State BJP chief, has been invited to the ceremony. What is the motive behind it?" the parliamentarian asked.

"I am not going to attend the programme", he said.

In its reaction, BJP said IOCL has organised the event though it is centrally sponsored. "Who would be invited to the launching ceremony of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana solely depends on the central PSU. So, this matter should not be politicised," senior BJP leader Prithivraj Harichandan said.

Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan is scheduled to flag off the scheme in the western Odisha district later today. Union Tribal Affairs minister Jual Oram is scheduled to attend the event.

"The Centre has aimed at providing LPG connections to 5 crore BPL families at a total budget of Rs 8,000 crore in the next three years. Around 1.5 crore BPL households will be provided with free cooking gas connection in the current fiscal for which the Centre will spend Rs 2000 crore", Oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.

According to reports, through this scheme, it is planned to increase the number of LPG customers in Odisha from 39 lakh at present to 80 lakh by December 2018.

The scheme has already been launched by the Centre in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Under the scheme, the central government is providing a financial assistance of 1,600 rupees to each eligible BPL candidate to buy an LPG connection