Govt raises LPG subsidy for Ujjwala beneficiaries to Rs 300 from Rs 200 per cylinder

The government has raised the subsidy amount for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries from Rs 200 to Rs 300 per LPG cylinder, Union Minister Anurag Thakur announced during a briefing on Wednesday.

"The beneficiaries of Ujjwala Yojana will get a subsidy of Rs 300 instead of Rs 200 after the increase," said Thakur.

Ujjwala beneficiaries currently pay Rs 703 per 14.2-kg cylinder as against the market price of Rs 903. After the decision of the Union Cabinet, they will now pay Rs 603.

What is Ujjwala Yojana?

In May 2016, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, introduced the ‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana’ (PMUY) as a flagship scheme with an objective to make clean cooking fuel such as LPG available to the rural and deprived households which were otherwise using traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, coal, cow-dung cakes, among others.

Usage of traditional cooking fuels had detrimental impacts on the health of rural women as well as on the environment.

The scheme was launched on May 1, 2016 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In September 2019, PM Modi handed over the eighth crore LPG connection in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.

Earlier in September, the Union Cabinet approved the scheme for the release of grant money to support LPG connections to women under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. Under this, 75 lakh LPG connections will be released in the next three years with a total financial implication of Rs 1,650 crore.

"The government has approved the release of grant to support LPG connections to women under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana," Union Minister Anurag Thakur had said.

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