Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Ujjwala scheme for providing free cooking gas connection to poor came in for praise from the International Energy Agency (IEA). The Agency said it is a major achievement in improving the environment and health of women. Speaking at a conference in New Delhi, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said, providing access to LPG across India by 2020 is a major achievement. Mr Birol said it is not an energy issue, it is an economic issue and it is a social issue. Launched by Modi on May 1, 2016, in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) aims to safeguard the health of women and children by providing free cooking gas (LPG) connection to poor families.
