Parliament Question: Affordability and accessibility of LPG

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.- 2696 ANSWERED ON- 16/03/2026 AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF LPG 2696 DR. K. LAXMAN: Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state:- (a) the current coverage of PM Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) and the measures taken to ensure sustained usage of LPG among beneficiaries, especially in rural areas; (b) the steps taken to control the volatility of LPG prices and provide targeted subsidies to vulnerable households; (c) whether Government has promoted the use of alternative clean cooking solutions like bio- gas and solar cookers in tribal and remote areas, especially in the State of Telangana; and (d) the initiatives to enhance LPG distribution network and reduce refill booking delays? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI SURESH GOPI) (a) & (b): Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched in May, 2016 with an objective to provide deposit free LPG connection to adult women from poor households across the country. As on 01.03.2026, there were about 10.56 crore PMUY connections across the country. The retail selling price of a 14.2 Kg domestic LPG cylinder is currently Rs. 913 in Delhi. After a targeted subsidy of Rs. 300/cylinder to PMUY consumers, Government of India is providing 14.2 Kg LPG cylinders at an effective price of Rs. 613 per cylinder (in Delhi) to all eligible PMUY beneficiaries. For ensuring affordable LPG prices to consumers, Government has paid a compensation of Rs. 22,000 crore to OMCs in FY 2022-23 and has approved another compensation of Rs. 30,000 crore in FY 2025-26. (c): The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has been implementing the Biogas programme under the Phase-I of National Bioenergy Programme (NBP), in the country including the in tribal and remote areas in Telangana, to support setting up of small biogas plants for clean cooking, by providing Central Financial Assistance. The eligible Central Financial Assistance (CFA) for small biogas plants for tribal community beneficiary ranges from Rs. 17,000 (for 1 metre3) to Rs. 70,400 (for 20-25 metre3), which are higher than the standard CFA given to other beneficiaries which are in the range of Rs. 9,800 (1 metre3) to Rs. 52,800 (20-25 metre3). (d): As of 01.03.2026, there are 25,605 LPG distributorships in India, including 17,677 in rural areas, serving by 214 LPG bottling plants of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). To improve LPG access in rural and remote areas, 8,037 distributorships were commissioned between April 2016 and February 2026, of which 7,444 (93%) serve rural regions.To enhance transparency and consumer empowerment, IVRS/SMS refill booking has been implemented nationwide, providing SMS alerts at key stages such as booking, cash memo generation, and delivery. Additionally, OMCs have introduced the Delivery Authentication Code (DAC), sent via SMS and shared with delivery personnel to ensure verified delivery. *********