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| Implementation of UJWALA scheme; DC Kulgam, Shopian seek list of beneficiaries | | | SAAHIL SUHAIL
EARLY TIMES REPORT
SRINAGAR, Feb 14: Deputy Commissioner Kulgam has sought a list of UJWALA Scheme beneficiaries weeks after administration in Pulwama district of South Kashmir recommended registration of cases against the LPG gas agencies for committing major frauds during its implementation in the district.
The Chief Planning Officer Kulgam issued an order earlier this week and directed Assistant Director Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Kulgam to submit a list of beneficiaries covered under UJWALA Scheme.
“Undersigned has been directed (by Deputy Commissioner Kulgam) to request you to kindly furnish Agency-wise list of beneficiaries covered under the UJWALA Scheme (since its inception),” reads the letter, a copy of which lies with Early Times.
In another development, Deputy Commissioner Shopian has also sought the list of UJWALA Scheme beneficiaries.
Following which the Assistant Director Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Shopian has sought the details from the gas agencies.
Important to mention, last month District Magistrate Pulwama, Dr Raghav Langer ordered registration of criminal cases against three LPG agencies after he detected huge discrepancies in the implementation of PMUY-Ujjwala Yojana in South Kashmir’s Pulwama.
In a statement, it was disclosed that the tip of this scam caught eye of the administration when last year in the month of April-May-June, 2020 entitlement for 3 free cylinders for Ujjawala Yojana beneficiaries was announced by the Govt of India amidst lockdown situation along with extra ration entitlement under PMGKAY.
Following this, the first LPG subsidy amount of Rs 851 got credited into accounts of Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries. Many of the naive Ujjwala beneficiaries who had not physically received any connection; got surprised with this credit entry and some approached their Tehsil Supply Officers (TSO’s) & bank branches to know the reason of such receipts, reads the statement.
On further enquiry, similar reports started pouring in from other areas as well as from public representatives that many of their SECC Ujjwala beneficiaries may be receiving LPG cylinder subsidy in their accounts but have not yet received any free connection, including LPG cylinder and gas stove, it said.
As per the initial inputs that have been shared by administration; the modus operandi in this seems to be very well crafted. Ujjawala Yojana connections get online sanctioned to the entitled beneficiaries by the Oil Marketing/Gas Companies (OMCs) based on recommendation and submission of papers by concerned LPG agencies/dealers. The same requires a filled up gas connection form, bank passbook and Aadhar card copies which are arranged by the local agents of these agencies from the entitled families included in the SECC survey list. In most of the cases the Ujjwala beneficiary who is a female, doesn’t even know that a LPG connection already stands issued in her favour by the LPG agency. Since the Aadhar no & linked bank accounts are correct; the beneficiaries start receiving credit of Rs 95-200 per refill in their account. Most of the times the beneficiary is unable to understand the reason for this receipt, as it is simply reflected as a ABPS credit entry similar to quarterly/monthly receipt under other social security/pension schemes, PM-Kisan, scholarship schemes, State marriage assistance scheme etc.
Thus the gas refills keep on getting booked against the Ujjawala connections and these domestic gas cylinders go to the black market and most commonly are diverted for commercial use in hotels/restaurants/shops/dhabas/factories/heating purposes etc. The huge cost difference between domestic & commercial LPG cylinders is a natural lure for its mass diversion. While unsuspecting PMUY-Ujjwala beneficiaries feel happy to receive subsidy in their accounts on each LPG cylinder purchased against their LPG ID, the Govt exchequer loses heavily due to such diversion of domestic cylinders into black market.
Worthwhile to mention that each Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana connection comes with provision of 12 LPG refills per year linked with back ended subsidy @ Rs 1600/year. A new Ujjawala connection consists of a free cylinder and gas stove and is sanctioned in the name of females of the households enlisted in the SECC-2011 survey list. The scheme was launched in the year 2016. |
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