Hazaribagh, May 17: Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) hopes to achieve its target of providing free LPG connections to BPL families under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) in Hazaribagh this year.

HPCL chief regional manager Pranay Kumar on Wednesday told reporters that the company had a target to provide 1,69,797 connections within three years from the launch of the scheme in the state on November 1, 2016. So far, the PSU has allotted 29,822 connections in Hazaribagh.

HPCL, BPCL and IOC have 19 distributors in Hazaribagh and 68,000 consumers.

But only 655 sacrificed their subsidy under the government's Give It Up campaign that urges the better-off to make do without the sop.

Kumar said Palamau topped the list in terms of maximum LPG connections.

Against the target of 57,000 connections within one year, around 79,350 beneficiaries have already got cylinders in Palamau.

He said consumers should register complaints related to poor service and middleman by calling toll-free number 1906. For any service-related assistance, they can dial 18002666696.

Kumar, who is posted at HPCL's Jamshedpur office, said distributors would deliver cylinders at home only in those areas where the total consumer count had crossed the 1,500-mark. Others will have to visit the nearest godown for a refill. The PMUY scheme also incorporates an LPG accident insurance cover of Rs 6 lakh for the consumer.

Earlier, the LPG was considered a preserve of the affluent and the middle class.

He said the PMUY scheme had brought LPG to the poor and reduced women's dependence on fossil fuels that are considered harmful for health as well as the environment.