Tribal girls carry firewood outside ministry office:16 lakh people can’t refill gas cylinder every year; many families lack connections

The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana was launched in 2016 to give gas connections to poor families. However, in Madhya Pradesh, the scheme is facing serious problems, as more than 1.6 million beneficiaries are unable to refill even one gas cylinder every year. Even though BJP ministers and leaders often praise the scheme in public meetings, the reality on the ground is very different. Many people living at the last level of society, especially from tribal communities, still do not have gas connections. This shows a clear gap between government claims and the actual situation.
Read the eyewitness account of the Bhaskar reporter On the road directly opposite the old jail on Arera Hills in Bhopal, a barefoot girl was seen approaching with faltering steps, carrying a bundle of wood on her head. Behind her, some women and children from her family and neighborhood were also seen coming, carrying bundles of wood on their heads. Seeing the girl carrying a load of wood at an age when she should be attending an anganwadi or school, we inquired about her well-being. The girl, with a faltering voice, said that she collects wood from the forest, and this wood is used to light the stove at home. Meanwhile, her family members, also carrying wood on their heads, arrived behind her, and the girl walked towards her home. When asked for their address, her family members said that they live in the Vallabh Nagar slum, opposite Vallabh Bhawan, which is the Secretariat.
Why does a small girl in the capital have to bring wood from the forest with her family, right in front of the Secretariat? Searching for the address provided by the family, we reached the slum opposite the Secretariat. During the search, we found a boy who was with the same girl, and he led us to those families. The hut is also in a narrow lane where two people cannot pass
At the end of Vallabh Nagar, in a very narrow lane in front of the temple, we reached that girl’s house. The lane was so narrow that two people could not pass together. Outside the hut, there was a pile of wood bundles. A dozen tribal families, no gas connection
Suresh Bhabor, father of 6-year-old Deepika Bhabor, who lives in Vallabh Nagar slum, said that 10-15 tribal families live here. No one has a gas connection. We have not received the benefit of any scheme. We, women and children, go four to five kilometers away to collect wood and then light the stove. Suresh says that due to the poor financial situation of the family, they don’t send their children to school. Tribal Girl Left School After Ninth Grade
Shivani Bhabar said- We have to go four-five kilometers away to get wood to light the stove. I used to go to school before, but now I have left. I have studied up to ninth grade. Our parents work as laborers. We also go to work as laborers. Shivani was asked if anyone from the government ever came to provide a gas connection or not? Shivani then said that no one has come to inquire yet.
Also know the status of Ujjwala Yojana
Under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), Madhya Pradesh has 88 lakh 46 thousand connections. However, data from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, reveals that every year in Madhya Pradesh, more than 16 lakh Ujjwala Yojana consumers are unable to even refill one cylinder throughout the year. 16 lakh consumers take only one refill of a gas cylinder in a year. Congress said: The reality of Ujjwala is being revealed right in front of the ministry
Pradeep Ahirwar, State President of the Congress Scheduled Caste Department, said – BJP’s MP and Central Modi government continuously praises the Ujjwala scheme, but figures show that there are more than 15 lakh such families who are unable to refill even one cylinder. This is a matter of great shame. The officials of Vallabh Bhawan should jump from the sixth floor of Vallabh Bhawan. Because when such a situation is in front of the ministry, where small girls of 6-7 years are carrying bundles of wood on their heads, then this reveals the reality of the Ujjwala scheme. Dalits and tribals are not getting the benefit of any scheme anywhere. Rather, they are definitely being exploited.