The Government has been working on increasing the number of people using LPG in the country to prevent their dependence on fossil fuels, and other fuel alternatives, mainly in the kitchen. Their main intention for making these changes was that LPG was not only a cleaner option from the environment point of view, but also in reducing soot and grime and keeping the kitchen clean, the food healthy and reducing the risk of dangers.
With the number of security features added to gas cylinders, they are a lot safer than their alternatives as well, and they are also safer than they were in the previous years. After a series of accidents that were taking place, it was time to make a few changes and introduce new options of safety valves, lighter cylinders, odour gas and many other features.
According to a report in January 2019, LPG connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna crossed the six crore mark. The coverage of LPG in the country has now reached 90 per cent rising from about 55% in 2014. The main reason that the Government managed to make changes on this large a scale were mainly their awareness drives. They got a chance to explain to people why LPG was a better alternative than the others, not only for domestic purposes but also for commercial purposes. They were also working on creating safer cylinders, which are a blessing and keeping the people using them safely since a lot of the accidents in the past were that the cylinders were unstable. Finally, the Government has throughout the previous decades been launching a large number of schemes that are benefitting the people. People are receiving tier cylinders at a subsidized price which is making it more alluring to switch LPG. The only downside of the scheme was that it applied to 12 cylinders in the year and people who wanted to use more had to pay the full price for them. There was another scheme where the Government was paying the setup cost for people below a specific financial status so they could benefit from a gas connection.
The process of applying for a new gas connection was not challenging and had a lot of people getting through it, whether through the online platforms or the office directly. There are more than a dozen LPG and cooking gas providers in the country and people interested in applying for a gas connection have to make sure that they get in touch with the right company for their price and geographical location. While some companies have a better reputation across the country, there are smaller ones who only work with a small city or in a specific state.
A gas connection is a mandatory requirement for every kitchen, even if there are an induction cooker, a microwave and an oven. The best part about it is that it is so easy to take from one place to another. One of the main reasons that the Government could push for gas cylinders was their ability to take them to remote parts of the country, even if the roads were not the best. The Government is in talks about changing the way they are functioning and moving from cylinders to a gas pipeline in metros, to reduce the work and create a more efficient system. The only foreseen challenges would be eventually taking the gas connection to remote parts of the country where there are current cylinders. It doesn’t seem likely that cylinders will completely go and places without gas pipelines can apply for cylinders.
People can get an LPG gas booking online when people are looking for a new gas cylinder, or they need a refill. Depending on the travel schedule of the company, whether they travel to a village or city once a month, or if they have a regular supply of cylinders where they send a person the next day, the applicant would receive the cylinder at their doorstep. The door to door delivery system is another appealing feature of getting a gas connection over any other source of fuel.
