<p>Half-way through the free gas cylinder scheme, over 8 crore Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries have got 6.8 crore free LPG cylinders during April to mid-May, the oil ministry said on Thursday.</p>.<p>Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package for healing COVID pain of poor, the government had in March announced distribution of three 14.2-kg LPG cylinders free of cost to Ujjwala beneficiaries from April to June.</p>.<p>Three cylinders for eight crore beneficiaries translated into giving away of 24 crore cooking gas bottles for free.</p>.<p>"During April 2020, oil marketing companies (OMCs) have delivered 4.53 crore cylinders to PMUY beneficiaries under PMGKP. As on May 20, 2020, OMCs have delivered a total of 6.79 cylinders to PMUY beneficiaries under the package," the ministry said a statement.</p>.<p>At this pace the total cylinders given away from April to June would be not more than 14 crores, a far cry from 24 crores provisioned for which the government had said Rs 13,000 crore would be spent.</p>.<p>The statement said beneficiaries got the cost of LPG refill in their accounts, which they used to buy cooking gas from local distributors.</p>.<p>"The beneficiaries were given funds in advance through direct benefit transfer (DBT) in their accounts so that there was no difficulty in availing this facility," it said.</p>.<p>Supply chain personnel, it said, have not only been ensuring timely supply of cylinders but also creating awareness amongst the beneficiaries about the hygiene and various health guidelines.</p>.<p>As part of the economic response to COVID-19, the government on March 26 launched a pro-poor scheme 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package' (PMGKP).</p>.<p>Under this scheme, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is providing free of cost LPG cylinders to over 8 crore PMUY beneficiaries for 3 months with effect from April 1, 2020.</p>.<p>The government had given out over 8 crore free cooking gas connections to poor women particularly in the rural area since the launch of the Ujjwala scheme in 2016. </p>
<p>Half-way through the free gas cylinder scheme, over 8 crore Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries have got 6.8 crore free LPG cylinders during April to mid-May, the oil ministry said on Thursday.</p>.<p>Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package for healing COVID pain of poor, the government had in March announced distribution of three 14.2-kg LPG cylinders free of cost to Ujjwala beneficiaries from April to June.</p>.<p>Three cylinders for eight crore beneficiaries translated into giving away of 24 crore cooking gas bottles for free.</p>.<p>"During April 2020, oil marketing companies (OMCs) have delivered 4.53 crore cylinders to PMUY beneficiaries under PMGKP. As on May 20, 2020, OMCs have delivered a total of 6.79 cylinders to PMUY beneficiaries under the package," the ministry said a statement.</p>.<p>At this pace the total cylinders given away from April to June would be not more than 14 crores, a far cry from 24 crores provisioned for which the government had said Rs 13,000 crore would be spent.</p>.<p>The statement said beneficiaries got the cost of LPG refill in their accounts, which they used to buy cooking gas from local distributors.</p>.<p>"The beneficiaries were given funds in advance through direct benefit transfer (DBT) in their accounts so that there was no difficulty in availing this facility," it said.</p>.<p>Supply chain personnel, it said, have not only been ensuring timely supply of cylinders but also creating awareness amongst the beneficiaries about the hygiene and various health guidelines.</p>.<p>As part of the economic response to COVID-19, the government on March 26 launched a pro-poor scheme 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package' (PMGKP).</p>.<p>Under this scheme, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is providing free of cost LPG cylinders to over 8 crore PMUY beneficiaries for 3 months with effect from April 1, 2020.</p>.<p>The government had given out over 8 crore free cooking gas connections to poor women particularly in the rural area since the launch of the Ujjwala scheme in 2016. </p>