DD India

The central government has informed the Parliament that it has distributed 14.17 crore free LPG refills nationwide as part of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. Rameswar Teli, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, shared this information during a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

According to Teli, there are currently 9.67 crore active LPG connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), with 69.26 lakh connections in Rajasthan as of October 2023.

The PMUY, initiated in May 2016, aims to provide clean cooking fuel to impoverished households nationwide. Adult women from economically disadvantaged households are eligible for a deposit-free LPG connection under this program.

Teli stated, “The government introduced a targeted subsidy of Rs 200/- per 14.2 kg cylinder for up to 12 refills per year (and proportionately pro-rated for 5 Kg connections) to PMUY consumers in May 2022. In October 2023, the government increased the targeted subsidy to Rs 300 per 14.2 kg cylinder for up to 12 refills per year (and proportionately pro-rated for 5 Kg connections).”

Furthermore, Teli informed the Parliament that the government had also granted up to three free refills to PMUY beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package from April 2020 to December 2020, resulting in the distribution of 14.17 crore free refills across the country.

(Inputs from ANI)