PM Modi to launch free cooking gas scheme, solar-powered boats today

Tight security arrangements have been made for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Maldepur at Ballia on Sunday to launch the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). Under the scheme, worth Rs 8,000 crore, five crore below poverty line (BPL) women across the country would be provided free cooking gas connections.

The programme venue at Maldepur is under surveillance of the Special Protection Group. An additional director general of police rank officer, 15 superintendents of police (SP), nine additional SPs, 12 companies of provincial armed constabulary (PAC) and 3,000 police and paramilitary force personnel have been deployed for on security duty for the programme.

Besides SPG, the NSG are also on duty. They carried out inspection at the venue on Saturday.

ASP Ramyagya Yadav said, “On our part, all preparations have been completed. Thorough inspection has been carried out at the venue.”

Modi will land at a helipad at the programme venue at 11.50 am and then will provide subscription vouchers of cooking gas connections to 10 women beneficiaries from five eastern UP districts, including Ballia, Ghazipur, Mau, Azamgarh and Deoria.

Among the beneficiaries are Guddi and Maya (Deoria), Tarannum Bano and Maya (Azamgarh), Shyampyari and Bhanumati (Ghazipur), Zareena and Geeta Singh (Mau) and Seema and Guddi (Ballia).

Speaking to HT, Seema said, “I am very happy that I will share the dais with the Prime Minister whom I wanted to see for a long time.”

The district administration has completed all preparations for the PM’s visit. A high-tech dais, a huge air-cooled pandal and more than 1 lakh chairs have been set up. According to a senior official, more than 1 lakh people are likely to attend the event. The venue has been decorated with pamphlets, describing the PMUY.

At 1.10 pm, Modi would fly to Varanasi where he is scheduled to distribute 1,100 e-rickshaws among beneficiaries. He would also meet the families of the beneficiaries and interact with them.

Modi will then visit ‘Jnana Pravaha’, a centre of cultural studies and research, in Samne Ghat area. The centre was founded in 1997 by city-borne philanthropist Bimla Poddar, who was conferred with Padma Shri last year.

The ‘Jnana Pravaha’ boasts of a museum with rare artefacts belonging to ancient and medieval ages, a library equipped with rare books and manuscripts and a handicraft atelier where artisans churn out exquisite specimens of brass, copper and ashtadhatu (alloy comprising eight metals).

The Prime Minister will thereafter head to the Assi Ghat on river Ganga, where he will launch 11 solar-powered boats. Widespread use of motorboats, mostly powered by diesel, has been a cause of concern in view of the alarming pollution level in the holy river.

The introduction of ‘e-boats’ is being seen as a remedial measure.

This will be the Prime Minister’s third tour of his parliamentary constituency since January this year.