Shillong, June 19: Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), a Central scheme aims at providing clean cooking fuel to poor families of Meghalaya was launched at the State Convention Centre here on Monday.

The scheme was launched by Union Minister of State for Railways, Rajen Gohain in the presence of Health Minister, Roshan Warjri Parliamentary Secretary, Kennedy C. Khyriem, Additional Chief Secretary, P.W. Ingty, besides Indian oil officials.

Launching the PMUY, Gohain, in his address, praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for launching PMUY on May 1, last year.

The scheme is meant for providing five crore LPG connections to BPL families in the country with a support of Rs.1600 per connection in the next three years.

Gohain also urged consumers who are financially sound to give up LPG subsidy for the interest of poor people as appealed by the Prime Minister

The Union Minister also said that PMUY is part of the Prime Minister’s dream of ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas’ which would help women and children access to clean fuel for cooking.

Meghalaya Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Roshan Warjri also lauded the Prime Minister for launching PMUY.

She said that the scheme would directly address the needs of poor women who manage kitchen and household, especially in rural areas, and termed PMUY a “significant step forward towards women empowerment.”

As a mark of symbolic launch of PMUY in the state, 22 beneficiaries from below poverty line
​ (BPL)​ families were handed over with LPG connections by the Union Minister and other dignitaries.

According to the Indian Oil, Meghalaya as on June 1 this year, has 6.32 lakhs households with LPG coverage, which is about 23 per cent coverage of households.