Good news for these 8.3 crore families! Free 3 LPG cylinders announced by Modi government - Here is why

In a major development, Modi government on Thursday made a big announcement for beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in the view of coronavirus crisis in India. Addressing a press conference, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that Ujjwala beneficiaries will get free cooking gas (LPG) cylinders in next three months. This important decision will benefit 8.3 crore BPL families of India. 

PIB India tweeted, "Government to provide 3 free cooking gas cylinders for the next 3 months under the #Ujjwala Scheme; to benefit 8 crore BPL families. #PradhanMantriGareebKalyanYojana #ReliefPackage #IndiaFightsCorona #Lockdown21." 

Government to provide 3 free cooking gas cylinders for the next 3 months under the #Ujjwala Scheme; to benefit 8 crore BPL families. #PradhanMantriGareebKalyanYojana #ReliefPackage #IndiaFightsCorona #Lockdown21 pic.twitter.com/M4WEdscusN

— PIB India (@PIB_India) March 26, 2020

Government of India has announced Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana - a relief package with a total outlay of Rs 1,70,000 crore. This will benefit Farmers, migrant workers, Urban & Rural poor, Women, Divyang etc. 

Currently, India is under 21-day lockdown due to coronavirus crisis.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday night announced a complete lockdown across the country for 21 days from Tuesday midnight, asserting that social distancing is the only way out for the country in its decisive battle against the coronavirus. In his second address to the nation on the pandemic raging across much of the world with the number of infections rising in India, Modi made a fervent appeal to the countrymen not to cross the 'lakshman rekha' of their homes in the next three weeks.

"To save India, to save every Indian, there will be a complete ban on people from stepping outside their houses from 12 midnight today," he said.

Any negligence in these 21 days will push the country and your families by 21 years, he said underlining the massive danger the coronavirus poses. The experience of countries, which have been able to contain the virus to some extent and experts' views have made it clear that social distancing caused by a lockdown is the only way to break the cycle of the infection, he said. This is the only ray of light, he asserted.