Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Velim MLA Cruz Silva has urged the government to ensure that financial assistance under the Goa Ujjwala Yojana reaches every eligible household without delays, confusion or unnecessary procedural hurdles.
Silva said the focus should now be on effective implementation of the scheme and ensuring that beneficiaries receive the assistance directly and on time.
Under the scheme, eligible households are to receive financial assistance equivalent to the average cost of three domestic LPG refills in a financial year, with the benefit transferred through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The Goa government has previously provided assistance towards three LPG refills under its LPG support scheme.
“Cooking gas is an essential and recurring household expenditure and the three-refill assistance can provide direct relief to family budgets,” Silva said.
He called for beneficiaries to be clearly informed about eligibility criteria, the assistance amount, the payment process and the mechanism available in cases where the benefit is not received.
Silva said beneficiaries already covered through government databases should not be subjected to unnecessary repeated documentation. According to the scheme provisions cited in his statement, existing Griha Aadhaar beneficiaries and female beneficiaries of the Dayanand Social Security Scheme can be identified through existing databases, subject to verification of their LPG or PNG connection.
Other eligible applicants may have to submit prescribed documents, including LPG or PNG connection details, Aadhaar, EPIC and bank-related documents.
“Where the government already has the required information, beneficiaries should not be unnecessarily burdened with repeated documentation. For those who have to apply, the procedure should be simple, transparent and properly explained,” Silva said.
Calls for quick resolution of technical issues
Silva also urged the administration to ensure that genuine beneficiaries are not excluded because of problems involving Aadhaar authentication, bank details, LPG connection verification or database mismatches.
“Technology should make delivery easier. It should not become a reason for a genuine beneficiary to be excluded,” he said, calling for a mechanism to identify and rectify such issues quickly.
The government has been expanding digital and last-mile access to welfare schemes. At a September 25 ‘Sarkar Tumchya Daari’ camp in Shiroda, the administration provided information and application assistance for schemes including Ujjwala Yojana.
Silva also pointed to the grievance mechanism provided under the scheme, under which beneficiaries can approach the Taluka Assistant Director in cases of rejection, non-inclusion or non-receipt of the benefit, with an appeal provision before the Director of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs.
He said smooth delivery and clear communication would be important to ensure that the intended beneficiaries are able to access the LPG assistance.I can also , while retaining the same neutral attribution.
