About eight women die every year in country due to exposure to fumes from cooking, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said today.
Fadnavis, along with Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Dharmendra Pradhan, launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) in the second capital of Maharashtra.
PMUY, officially launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May this year, envisages safeguarding the health of women and children by providing them with a clean cooking fuel - LPG.
Fadnavis said the scheme has reached to the poor and BPL families across the country since its launch by the PM.
He said there were only 13 crore LPG connections in country during last 70 years.
"Narkhed taluka in Nagpur district has become Kerosene-free and soon entire Maharashtra will be free of Kerosene," the CM said, adding nearly one crore citizens in the country have surrendered LPG subsidy thus enabling the passing off the benefits to the needy people.
On the occasion, Gadkari said about 1500 women from Women Self Help Group (SHG) in Narkhed have been given a loan of Rs 54 lakh by district authorities for availing LPG connection.
Pradhan, the MoS for Petroleum & Natural Gas, said 1.20 crore families have been benefitted in last eight months since the PMUY was officially launched on May 1.
"It was launched in Maharashtra two months back and 4.5 lakh families have benefited," he added.
The minister said a proposed gas pipe line, connecting Mumbai to Nagpur and further Nagpur to a point in Odiha, will pass through Nagpur district and create employment opportunities for locals.
"Today's launch marks one more step in the direction of providing LPG connections during three financial years commencing 2016-17 to 5 crore BPL families," stated an official release.
On the occasion, 20 women from BPL families were handed over LPG connections by three ministers.
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