claim: 3.8 crore poor women provided with free LPG connections, target raised to 8 crore.
evidence: The meetings are aimed at creating awareness among women on the benefits of cooking with LPG in place of the conventional firewood. Kerala has achieved 99.89 per cent LPG penetration and leads the country in use of LPG for domestic cooking. Under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, the government has given 3.8 crore LPG connections to the underprivileged sections of society. The target is to provide 5 crore connections by March 2019. Another 3 crore LPG connections are being given under the Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat scheme. "We have identified 32,000 beneficiaries under the Ujjwala Yojana and provided household gas connections to 29,000 applicants so far. Nationwide, we have provided LPG connections to 83 per cent of the population and the government is planning to provide LPG connection to 99 per cent of families by 2020," he said. [...] Under the Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat scheme, the IOC has identified 15 villages in Kerala for giving LPG connections to rural women. These 15 villages are located in the districts of Palakkad, Thrissur, Idukki and Pathanamthitta. IOC general Manager (LPG) A Ravi also participated in the press meet.