Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a gift to every family through the Ujjwala scheme and reduced cylinder prices by Rs 300, Adityanath said, referring to the Centre’s recent announcement increasing the subsidy on cooking gas connections under the scheme.

Ujjwala scheme update: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday announced a Diwali gift for Ujjwala scheme beneficiaries: a free cooking gas cylinder. The scheme provides free gas connections to poor households, and around 1.75 crore families in the state will benefit from the government’s decision. The chief minister made the announcement during an event in Bulandshahr, where he also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of multiple development projects worth Rs 632 crore, as per a news report carried by news agency PTI.

Yogi Adityanath Lays Foundation Of Various Projects

Later in the day, Adityanath also inaugurated and laid foundation stones of 132 projects worth Rs 136 crore in Hapur district, where he was joined by state BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary, Union minister Kaushal Kishore, UP social welfare minister Asim Arun, among others.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Gift

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a gift to every family through the Ujjwala scheme and reduced cylinder prices by Rs 300, Adityanath said, referring to the Centre’s recent announcement increasing the subsidy on cooking gas connections under the scheme.

“Now we have also decided that every Ujjwala Yojna beneficiary will be given one cooking gas cylinder free of cost as a Diwali gift,” the chief minister said in Bulandshahr.

Adityanath said getting LPG gas connections was a difficult task before the BJP government came to power at the Centre in 2014. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is a central government initiative that gives financial support for LPG connection to BPL (Below Poverty Line) families.

Highlighting other BJP schemes, the chief minister said there are 55 lakh women who have become homeowners in UP under the PM Awas Yojna, while 2.75 lakh toilets have been built in the state under ‘Swachh Bharat’ initiative.

“In the last nine years, we all have witnessed a new India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This new India is prosperous, powerful and self reliant,” he said. Adityanath said the new India has benefitted all categories of people and citizens, including the youth and women of the country after 2014.

‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’

“The ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign has now reached a point where Parul Chaudhary (women’s 5000m) and Annu Rani (javelin) are now winning gold medals in the Asian Games,” he said, adding both have brought laurels to the country and UP.

“Both of them will be appointed deputy SPs… Gold medal winners (at this year’s Asian Games) will be awarded Rs 3 crore, silver winners Rs 1.5 crore and bronze medallists will be given Rs 75 lakh by the state government. A felicitation ceremony for them would be held soon. We will also give them government jobs,” the chief minister said.

Adityanath also lauded the prime minister for launching campaigns like ‘Khelo India’ and ‘Fit India’, which, he said, have resulted in players bringing laurels to the country in international events. At Bulandshahr event, Adityanath was joined by Union minister V K Singh, UP government’s in-charge minister of the district Arun Saxena, Lok Sabha MP Bhola Singh, and Rajya Sabha MP Surendra Nagar, among others.

(With inputs from agencies)