Ayodhya (UP): "The tea is good but it is a little too sweet," Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Meera who was elated to host the surprise guest at her house near the Lata Mangeshkar Chowk here on Saturday.
Modi, who was in the temple town to unveil a 'new look old' city with an airport, a revamped train station and multiple projects, made a sudden stopover at the woman's house who holds the distinction of being the 10th-crore beneficiary of the Ujjwala scheme.
The scheme was started in May 2016 to provide LPG connection to women of below poverty line (BPL) families.
As the prime minister's cavalcade stopped suddenly at the colony near the Lata Mangeshkar Chowk, the surprised locals began shouting 'Modi-Modi'. He entered Meera's house and drank tea made by her.
He enquired about the well-being of the entire family as well as that of the colony.
Meera told the prime minister that she has got free gas and accommodation.
"Earlier, I had a kutcha house, but now it has become pucca," she said and expressed her happiness for being able to host Modi at her house.
Later, while addressing a rally in the temple town, Modi said, "Today I got the opportunity to have tea at the house of the 10th-crore beneficiary of Ujjwala gas connection."
Recalling the scheme's launch from Ballia, the prime minister said that even though it was ridiculed at that time, Ujjwala Yojana has changed the lives of crores of women.
A statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh government said the prime minister had tea at the residence of the beneficiary of the Ujjwala scheme and had a brief conversation with her. This programme was not scheduled in advance, it said.
During this, the prime minister gave an autograph to a child and along with it, he wrote 'Vande Mataram'. He also got a selfie clicked with the local children, the statement said.
Published 30 December 2023, 14:21 IST