Our Correspondent
Kohima | April 20
Joining celebration of National 'Ujjwala Diwas', Seyie Gas Agency Kohima today distributed new LPG connection free of cost to 30 women hailing from BPL and SC/ST families in and around Kohima at D Block Panchayat Hall.
Seyie Gas Agency Kohima proprietor Kuolachalie Seyie said that full set of new LPG connection were distributed in line with the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, a scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas for providing LPG connections to women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) households.
He said the scheme aims to empower women and improve their health by easing out the burden of cooking on firewood.
He said that besides the requirement of AADHAR card, residency proof and income certificate, intending local women applicants, those who don’t have any LPG connections in their name, have to submit the SC/ST certificate.
The scheme envisages that providing LPG connections to BPL households will ensure universal coverage of cooking gas in the country while also empowering women and also protect their health, besides an effort towards making the country smokeless, he said.
While the selection of beneficiaries would be from the BPL families only, preference would be given to SC/ST and weaker sections of society, the scheme maintains.
Quoting WHO estimates, Seyie Gas Agency manager Kezieno said about 5 lakh deaths in India alone due to unclean cooking fuels.
Most of these premature deaths were due to non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. According to experts, having an open fire in the kitchen is like burning 400 cigarettes an hour, she said.
AMK president Kevinourheno Seyie sharing the experience and benefits of LPG connection said that the scheme has given an opportunity for the women working in the kitchen to stop the use of firewood which is a major cause of deforestation and also has impacted the climate change.
She also urged upon women’s to come forward and avail the benefit.
Thepfulhousa Shüya demonstrated safe operation of LPG at home.
After the distribution programme, intending eligible women were also highlighted on the requirements and procedures to be followed while applying to avail the benefit under the scheme.
