Nagepur women dream life beyond ‘smoke’
Inhaling smoke emanating from their traditional chulha (stove) while cooking has been a routine for many women in Dalit Basti of PM Narendra Modi’s second adopted village Nagepur for years now.
All these women from below poverty line (BPL) families share a common wish to have a cooking gas connection under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). The scheme was launched by PM on May 1 this year in Ballia.
“Five months after the launch of the PMUY, getting gas connections is a big dream for us. I applied for the LPG connection under the PMUY during summer this year. But I didn’t get the one because my name didn’t appear in the list,” says woman weaver Tara Devi said.
After coming to know about the PM’s scheduled visit to his constituency on Monday, Tara Devi wants him to intervene in the matter so that women like her get cooking gas connection.
Tara Devi’s husband Lallan Kumar, who is also a weaver, claimed he recently requested village head Parasnath Rajbhar to help him in getting a connection. “Rajbhar has assured me all help in making my gas connection dream come true,” he said. Rajbhar accepts that around 20 BPL families in the Dalit Basti still depend on traditional chulha.
“I submitted a list of the BPL families lacking LPG connections to local authorities of a gas agency. Of them, a few have got the cooking gas connections. A fresh list of beneficiaries will be prepared and submitted to the gas agencies soon,” Rajbhar said.According to him, around 70 families including those in Dalit Basti still don’t have LPG connections. He added that he would ensure that all BPL families here got the gas connections.
“Cow dung cakes and firewood emit thick smoke making cooking food on a chulha an ordeal,” says another woman Avantika.In nearby Bhitari village, one Bela Devi, 50, also cooks food on the traditional chulha. At this age, she also wants an LPG connection.