The Government on Wednesday approved extension of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) for release of 75 lakh more free LPG connections for eligible beneficiaries over three years from 2023-24 to 2025-26.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The total financial implication of the extended scheme will be Rs 1650 crore.

There will be a subsidy of Rs 2200 per connection for 14.2 kg single bottle connection; Rs 2200 per connection for 5 kg double bottle connection; and Rs 1300 per connection for 5 kg single bottle connection.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur told newspersons that as per the existing modalities of Ujjwala 2.0, the first refill and stove will also be provided free of cost to Ujjwala beneficiaries.

Recently, the government on the occasion of Raksha Bhandhan, reduced the price of a LPG cylinder for all consumers by Rs 200, brought down to Rs 900 from Rs 1100. The Ujjwala beneficiaries received an additional subsidy of Rs 200 per cylinder, Mr Thakur said.

Under the PMUY, 9.60 lakh connections have been given so far, and the Cabinet decision on Wednesday will provide these free connections to 75 lakh more eligible beneficiaries. The decision has been taken on the basis of demand, Mr Thakur said.

The PMUY extension will provide a targeted subsidy of Rs 200 per 14.2 kg LPG cylinder, up to 12 refills per year. The continuation of the PMUY was required so that eligible poor households get their due benefit under the scheme.

The deposit-free LPG connections to poor households provide access to clean cooking fuel and helps in addressing health problems caused by the use of traditional sources of cooking fuel such as fire-wood, coal and cow-dung.

The LPG use will enhance productivity of women, raise quality of their life by removing drudgery associated with collection of wood and insure them against non-availability of cooking fuel, at times.

Some eligible households still do not have LPG connections. This is due to multiple reasons – new households are formed every year as a result of rising population, marriages, migration, nuclearlisation of families, left-over households, extremely remote locations, etc. There is a demand for 15 lakh PMUY connections as on 31st August, 2023.

The Minister said the PMUY has been widely praised as a successful social welfare scheme which has majorly contributed to increase in LPG penetration in the country from 62 per cent in 2016 to near saturation now.