Ujjwala has led social change, 45% of beneficiaries dalits and tribals: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the 'Ujjwala Yojna', a flagship welfare scheme of his government aimed at increasing LPG cylinder coverage among poor families, has led to a social transformation with over 45 per cent of its forty million beneficiaries being Dalits and tribals.

In an interaction with the scheme's beneficiaries, he underlined his government's pro-Dalit credentials by comparing benefits given to the community under it against what they received under the Congress-led UPA government.

While Dalits got 445 petrol pumps under 2010-14 during the UPA rule, more than 1200 of them got it during 2014-18 in his government's rule, he said, adding that the corresponding figures for LPG distribution centres for the community are over 900 and 1300.

"Since people started to get benefits under the Ujjwala Yojna, a big social transformation is visible. I am happy to tell you that out of its four crore beneficiaries 45 per cent are Dalits and tribals," he said.