Lok Sabha Question No. 1367 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-24
Subject: LPG Connections under PMUY
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: SRIRAM MALYADRI, CH. MALLA REDDY, K. ASHOK KUMAR, ANJU BALA, K. MARAGATHAM, B. SREERAMULU

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1367 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24 th  JULY 2017

## LPG CONNECTIONS UNDER PMUY

1367.  SHRI MALYADRI SRIRAM: SHRI CH. MALLA REDDY: SHRI K. ASHOK KUMAR: SHRIMATI ANJU BALA: SHRIMATI K. MARAGATHAM: SHRI B. SRIRAMULU:

## पेट्रोलियम एवं प्राक ृ लिक गैस मंत्री

Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state :

- (a)  whether  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Ujjwala  Yojana  (PMUY)  LPG  consumers  are  not getting refills of LPG cylinders in the country including Andhra Pradesh which leads to  degrowth in consumption and if so, the reaction of the Government thereto and the  concrete  steps  taken/  proposed  to be  taken  to  rectify  the  low  figure  of  refill  of LPG cylinders, State/UT-wise;
- (b)  whether  Federation  of  LPG  distributors  has  pointed  out  that  most  of  LPG connections provided to BPL families under PMUY are unsafe and have safety and security concerns/do not fulfil the basic safety criteria, if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto along with efforts made by the Government to  ensure  safety  parameters  of  LPG  connections  provided  to  BPL  families  under PMUY;
- (c)  the  number  of  cases  of  BPL  beneficiaries  identified  who  have  been  reportedly deprived of availing the benefits of the scheme due to incomplete papers and wrong data along with the action taken by the Government in this regard, State/ UT-wise;
- (d) whether the Government is aware that a number of fake websites have come up recently  in  connection  with  the  PMUY  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the action/corrective steps taken/being taken in this regard; and
- (e) whether it has come to the notice of the Government that an entity with the name www.ujjwalayojana.org  has  issued  an  advertisement  in  Hindustan  Newspaper regarding  appointment  of  LPG  distributorship  under  Rajiv  Gandhi  LPG  Vitaran Yojana and if so, the details thereof and the action taken in this regard?

## ANSWER

## पेट्रोलियम एवं प्राक ृ लिक गैस मंत्रािय में राज्य मंत्री ( स्विंत्र प्रभार ) ( श्री धमेन्द्र प्रधान )

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)  IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a) Domestic LPG consumption has registered annual growth of 9.8 % in Financial Year  2016-17.  Average  refill  consumption  of  a  LPG  consumer  in  the  country including  in  the  State  of  Andhra  Pradesh  is  7.7  cylinders  (14.2  Kg.  cylinder)  per annum, including 4 cylinders in case of beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.

- (b) OMCs  have  given  instructions  to their LPG  distributors  to  release  LPG connections after satisfying and meeting all the safety norms for installation of LPG connections.  Further, OMCs have reported that the following measures are adopted for ensuring safety and for educating the LPG customers who have been released LPG connections under PMUY Scheme: -
- (i) Proper  education  is  given  on  safety  aspects  of  LPG  usage  to  the  PMUY beneficiaries  through  safety  clinics  during  the  LPG  connection  distribution melas  by  way  of  how  to  use  LPG  by  demonstration  and  screening  film  on safety.
- (ii) While issuing LPG connections under PMUY scheme, safety instructions card is given to the beneficiaries.
- (iii) All  LPG  distributors  are  under  strict  instructions  to  install  connections  at  the premises of the PMUY beneficiaries and ensure that the Hotplate is kept at safe location and customer is advised about the safe way to use LPG.
- (iv) OMCs'  Officers carry out regular customer contacts and distributorship inspections to monitor the above steps. During inspections, wherever it is found that the distributors are not adhering  to the given instructions or  noncompliance of given instructions, suitable action under MDG is taken against such defaulting distributors.
- (v) Government  has  launched  intensive  'Safety  Campaign'  through  print  and electronic  media  highlighting  safety  norms  in  usage  of  LPG.  OMCs  have conducted more than 47 thousand safety awareness programmes by

organising  safety  clinics,  Nukkad  Natak,  Speciality/sports  events  etc.  since launch of the Scheme for the safety awareness of  PMUY consumers.

- (c)  Under  the  Scheme,  all  households  belonging  to  the  Below  Poverty  Line  (BPL) category  identified  under  the  Socio  Economic  Caste  Census  (SECC)  2011,  are eligible to get a connection, subject to the condition that no LPG connection should already exist in the name of any family member of the household and after carrying

out de-duplication process.

- (d) & (e) The Government have received information about fake websites relating to PMUY including www.ujjwlayojana.org. Government has issued press release from time to time cautioning general public about such websites. Further, the issue of fake websites  was  also  taken  up  with  the  Ministry  of  Electronics  and  Information Technology to take appropriate action at their end.