Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
3. The success of such a huge social scheme cannot be measured in terms of mere distribution of connections without ensuring the transition to clean fuel through sustained usage of LPG. Critically Examine in light of the recent findings of CAG on the government’s marquee Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). (250 Words)
Why this question:
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has expressed concerns over National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s marquee Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) in terms of low consumption, diversions and considerable delays in supply of cylinders. This comes in the backdrop of the Ujjwala scheme that provides free cooking gas connections to poor families; hailed as the NDA government’s version of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
Key demand of the question:
One must discuss in detail the significance of behavioural and attitudinal change brought in by the PMUY scheme. However, point out to the challenges faced by the scheme and the measures to overcome the same.
Directive:
Critically examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we have to look into the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a fair judgement.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
In brief explain the background of the scenario .
Body:
Highlight the findings of the CAG report:
- The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in its report on the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), has highlighted the risk of diversion of domestic cylinders for commercial use as 1.98 lakh beneficiaries had an average annual consumption of more than 12 cylinders.
- The CAG said this level of consumption seemed improbable in view of the BPL status of such beneficiaries.
- Similarly, 13.96 lakh beneficiaries consumed 3 to 41 refills in a month. Further, IOCL and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) in 3.44 lakh instances issued 2 to 20 refills in a day to a PMUY beneficiary having single-bottle cylinder connection
On the contrary, provide with the significance of Ujjwala scheme and in what way it addresses the behavioural and attitudinal aspects. Explain the need of getting rid of conventional cooking methods, necessity of clean cooking fuel methods.
What needs to be done to address these issues and challenges?
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
