Parliament Question: BPL/SCs/STs Families covered under PMUY

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4758 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21st August, 2025 BPL/SCs/STs Families covered under PMUY 4758. Shri Janardan Singh Sigriwal पे(cid:7069)ोिलयम एवं (cid:7079)ाकृितक गसै मं(cid:7074)ी Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state: (a) the number of Below Poverty Line/Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes families covered under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) in the country, State/UT-wise including Bihar; (b) whether the Government has noticed that a number of beneficiaries of PMUY are not able to refill their gas cylinders due to LPG price hike/lack of funds; (c) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise including Bihar along with the response of the Government thereto including the steps taken for reducing the price of LPG cylinders or providing subsidy to the said categories; (d) whether the Government has been able to achieve the objectives set under PMUY; and (e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the corrective steps taken/proposed to be taken in this regard? ANSWER पे(cid:7069)ोिलयम एवं (cid:7079)ाकृितक गसै मं(cid:7074)ालय म(cid:7286) रा(cid:6996)यम(cid:7074)ं ी ((cid:7088)ी सरु ेश गोपी) MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI SURESH GOPI) (a) to (e): PMUY was launched in May, 2016 with an objective to provide deposit free LPG connection to adult women from poor households across the country. The target to release 8 crore connections under PMUY was achieved in September 2019. To cover the remaining poor households, Ujjwala 2.0 was launched in August 2021 with a target to release 1 crore additional PMUY connections, which was achieved in January 2022. Subsequently, Government decided to release 60 lakh more LPG connections under Ujjwala 2.0 and the target of 1.60 crore Ujjwala 2.0 connections was also achieved during December 2022. Further, Government approved release of additional 75 lakh connections under PMUY scheme which was also achieved by July 2024. Ason 01.08.2025, Out of total 10.33 crore LPG connections under PMUY, more than 3.13 crore connections have been given to SC/ST consumers. State/UT-wise, details of LPG connections under PMUY including SC/ST category are given at Annexure – A. The primary objective of the PMUY is to provide access to clean cooking fuel LPG to poor households thereby protecting their health by reducing the serious health hazards associated with use of conventional cooking fuel such as firewood, coal, cow dung etc. which cause severe indoor household air pollution. Use of LPG as cooking fuel frees women from the drudgery of collecting firewood, reduces time spent on cooking and prevents deforestation. PMUY has majorly contributed to imporve LPG coverage in the country from 62% in April 2016 to near saturation now. LPG consumption of PMUY beneficiaries is monitored on regular basis. Consumption of domestic LPG by households depends on several factors like food habits, household size, cooking habits, tradition, flavor, taste, preferences, price, availability of alternate fuels etc. India imports about 60% of the domestic LPG consumed. Price of LPG in the country is linked to its price in the international market. While the average Saudi CP (international benchmark for LPG pricing) rose by 51% (from US$ 385/MT in July 2023 to US$ 582/MT in June 2025), the effective price for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) consumers for domestic LPG was reduced by 38% (from Rs. 903 in August 2023 to Rs. 553 in July 2025). Globally, PMUY is the biggest program of its kind that provides Domestic LPG to more than 10 crore poor households at an effective price of just about Rs. 39/Kg. The retail selling price of a 14.2 Kg domestic LPG cylinder is currently Rs. 853 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.553 per cylinder (in Delhi). This is available to about 10.33 crore Ujjwala beneficiaries, across the country. Since the launch of PMUY till financial year 2022-23, Government has been bearing an expenditure of up to Rs.1,600 per PMUY connection for Security Deposit (SD) of Cylinder, Pressure Regulator, Suraksha Hose, DGCC booklet and installation charges. From financial year 2023-24, this expenditure has been increased to Rs.2,200 per connection for 14.2 Kg Single Bottle Connection/ 5 Kg Double Bottle Connection & Rs.1,300 per connection for 5 Kg Single Bottle Connection.Further, as a result of various steps taken by Government to improve access and affordability of domestic LPG for PMUY consumers, per capita consumption of PMUY beneficiaries (in terms of no. of 14.2 kg LPG cylinders taken per year) has increased from 3.01 (FY 2019-20) to 3.95 in FY 2023-24 and 4.47 in FY 2024-25. Various independent studies and reports have shown that PMUY scheme has had a significant positive impact on the lives of rural households, especially women and families in rural and remote areas. Some key benefits are briefly explained below: (i) PMUY had resulted in a shift from traditional cooking methods that involve burning solid fuels like wood, dung and crop residues. The use of cleaner fuel lowers indoor air pollution, leading to improved respiratory health, particularly among women and children who are traditionally more exposed to household smoke. (ii) Households in rural areas, especially those in remote locations, often spend a significant portion of their time and energy in collecting traditional cooking fuels. LPG has reduced drudgery and the time spent on cooking by women of poor households. The free time, thus, available with them can be utilized in multiple spheres for enhanced economic productivity. (iii) Transition from biomass and traditional fuels to LPG reduces the dependency on wood and other biomass for cooking purposes, leading to a decrease in deforestation and environmental degradation. This benefits not only the households but also contributes to broader environmental conservation efforts. (iv) With improved cooking facilities, there is a potential positive impact on nutrition. Families may find it easier to cook a variety of nutritious meals, contributing to better overall health. *******Annexure-A Annexure referred to in part (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4758 to be answered on 21.08.2025 regarding “BPL/SCs/STs Families covered under PMUY”. State/UT-wise number of PMUY Connections, connections under SC/ST category – As on 01.08.2025 Connections under SC/ST Number of PMUY category State/UT Connections Andaman and Nicobar Islands 13,821 738 Andhra Pradesh 9,71,646 1,73,830 Arunachal Pradesh 53,693 32,398 Assam 50,94,836 8,79,820 Bihar 1,16,25,850 21,78,529 Chandigarh 2,025 44 Chhattisgarh 38,00,896 17,25,397 Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu 17,744 13,626 Delhi 2,59,054 57,812 Goa 1,949 568 Gujarat 43,06,668 10,40,847 Haryana 11,13,511 4,09,671 Himachal Pradesh 1,50,540 46,860 UT of Jammu and Kashmir 12,69,306 2,87,658 Jharkhand 38,93,059 12,35,042 Karnataka 41,42,489 12,59,828 Kerala 3,87,490 77,935 UT of Ladakh 11,080 8,990 Lakshadweep 370 276 Madhya Pradesh 88,45,322 34,71,797 Maharashtra 52,13,333 14,67,777 Manipur 2,24,879 70,110 Meghalaya 3,16,947 1,59,359 Mizoram 35,986 28,318 Nagaland 1,22,052 48,340 Odisha 55,47,762 20,40,026 Puducherry 19,404 7,296 Punjab 13,57,874 10,35,725 Rajasthan 73,77,106 29,73,818 Sikkim 19,867 3,039 Tamil Nadu 40,97,131 12,69,194 Telangana 11,82,834 5,06,275 Tripura 3,16,366 1,55,000 Uttar Pradesh 1,85,84,927 48,75,474 Uttarakhand 5,29,539 1,53,687 West Bengal 1,23,72,495 36,41,007 Source: IOCL on behalf of OMCs PSU