Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)
- The Union Government has approved 25 lakh additional Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), expanding coverage to 10.58 crore households.
About Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)
- The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched in 2016 as a central sector scheme to provide deposit-free LPG connections to women in low-income households.
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG)
- Implemented by: MoPNG in collaboration with Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), and state governments.
- Objective: Ensure the availability of clean cooking fuels, lower indoor air pollution, and safeguard the health of women and children.
- It aims to replace the unclean cooking fuels mainly used in rural India with the clean and more efficient LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas).
- Cash Assistance: Under the scheme, cash assistance of Rs. 1600 for a connection for a 14.2kg cylinder or Rs. 1150 for a 5 kg cylinder is provided.
- Eligibility: Adult women without an LPG connection; priority for women from BPL, SC/ST, Antyodaya, SECC-listed households, forest dwellers, migrants (self-declaration), and island residents.
- Exclusions: Households with existing LPG connections from any Oil Marketing Company.
- Household with no adult female member.
- Male members from a household cannot apply for the scheme.
- Phases & Targets: Phase I (2016–2019) achieved 8 crore connections; Phase II (Ujjwala 2.0, 2021–22) added 1.6 crore, with further extensions till 2024.
Key Achievements
- Coverage: Over 10.33 crore LPG connections had been distributed under PMUY by March 2025.
- Continuous Usage: More than 238 crore subsidised cylinder refills were availed in nine years.
- Distributor Expansion: The LPG distributor network grew 83% by 2024, enhancing rural access.
Read More > Black Carbon & Role of PMUY
