If you are still cooking without a gas connection or are troubled by the expensive prices of the cylinder, then there is good news for you. Under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) of the Central Government, now poor families are getting LPG cylinders for just ₹ 550. By taking advantage of the subsidy given by the government, now you too can easily get a gas connection and a cheap cylinder.
This scheme will not only make your kitchen smoke-free but will also make big savings in your monthly expenses. Let us understand every aspect of this scheme in detail so that you too can take maximum benefit from it.
More than 10 crore families are getting subsidized gas
According to the information provided by the government, so far 10.33 crore poor families across the country are getting subsidized LPG gas under the Ujjwala Yojana. On one hand, the number of domestic LPG consumers has now reached 32.94 crores, on the other hand, special relief is being given to Ujjwala beneficiaries. This figure shows how big a penetration the scheme has made. The rural and deprived areas of the country.
60% of India’s LPG requirement is met through imports
India imports about 60 percent of its domestic LPG needs, so the prices of cylinders here are linked to the international market. Currently, the price of a 14.2 kg domestic cylinder in Delhi is ₹803. However, the beneficiaries of Ujjwala Yojana get a subsidy of ₹ 300, which makes this cylinder available to them for ₹ 503. Moreover, in many states, the cylinder is available for only ₹ 550 at the time of registration or connection. This subsidy is a significant relief for millions of families.
Connection is being received without a deposit
In May 2016, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana was launched to empower women and provide access to clean fuel. The objective of the scheme was to provide LPG connections to women from poor families without any deposit.
In the first phase, the government had set a target of providing 8 crore connections, which was completed by September 2019. Subsequently, Ujjwala 2.0 was launched to include the remaining deprived families in the scheme. This initiative has brought a real transformation in the lives of rural women in India.
Now LPG is in almost every household
As a result of the efforts of the government, LPG has now reached almost every house in the country. While the LPG coverage was 62 percent in 2016, it is now close to 100 percent. Along with this, an increase in the cylinder consumption of Ujjwala beneficiaries has also been observed.
While in 2019-20 a family used an average of 3.01 cylinders in a year, this number has increased to 4.43 in 2024-25. This clearly shows that people are now using clean fuel more often.
Benefits to both women and the environment
Women have benefited the most by getting an LPG connection. Earlier they used to depend on wood, cow dung, and crop residues for cooking, due to which the house would be filled with smoke and they had to face respiratory diseases. Now the use of LPG has not only improved their health, but they are also saving their time, which they can spend on other activities.