Shillong, April 16: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has decided to celebrate April 20, 2018 as the Ujjwala Diwas, as a part of the as a part of the “Gram Swaraj Abhiyan”.
By creating a special observation day, MoPNG through its PSU Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) intends to promote amongst the rural consumers, the safe and sustained use of LPG through peer group interactions on a large scale. The Ujjwala Diwas will also promote the enhanced target of enrolling 8 crore LPG beneficiaries and connections will be provided to eligible beneficiaries on that day, during the LPG Panchayat.
It is targeted to hold 15000 LPG Panchayats on the Ujjwala Diwas being observed on April 20, 2018, where apart from experience sharing, aimed at safe and sustained usage of LPG, all out efforts will also be made to maximize customer enrolment. Each Panchayat will be targeting participation by 500 women with a goal of enrolling at least 100 new LPG beneficiaries.Safety Literature (Safety Instruction and Insurance cards will also be distributed during the Panchayat session.
An LPG Panchayat is a community meeting which will serve as a platform for LPG consumers to interact with each other, promote mutual learning, and share their experiences. Each LPG Panchayat aims to bring together about 500 women from the neighboring areas, thus providing a platform for Ujjwala LPG users to share information on how to use LPG safely, as well as spread the message of its multiple benefits, like health, environment and empowerment of women.
Women who haveexperienced the benefits of cooking with LPG can now boost the confidence of other women about adopting this clean, green cooking fuel safely and without any reservations or misconceptions. Sharing of experiences by actual users and learning through peer group interaction is thus the main aim of LPG Panchayats.
One LPG Panchayat will be organized by each LPG Distributor in his/her area of responsibility. For the Districts of Ribhoi, East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills and East Jaintia Hills17 no. of Indane Distributors would be conducting LPG Panchayats in their respective area of operations on 20th April 2018.
Key activities that will be undertaken to mark Ujjwala Diwas include organization of LPG Panchayats; distribution of new connection to beneficiaries; explaining the details of expanded PMUY categories and collection of KYC forms for expanded categories of Ujjwala.
