Parliament Question: Expansion of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 194 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29th January, 2026 Expansion of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana 194. Shri Rajesh Naranbhai Chudasama: Shri Arvind Ganpat Sawant: Shri Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor: Shri Bhojraj Nag: Smt. Sanjna Jatav: Shri Rahul Singh Lodhi: पे(cid:367)ोिलयम एवं (cid:255)ाकृितक गैस मं(cid:253)ी Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state: (a) the target set for issuance of connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY); (b) the total number of beneficiaries covered under the PMUY across the country as of December 2025 particularly in Kanker, Balod, Dhamtari and Keshkal districts of Chhattisgarh, Dahod district of Gujarat and South Mumbai Lok Sabha Constituency of Maharashtra; (c) the details of the approval of the Government accorded in September 2025 for providing twenty five lakh additional Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) connections and the progress made so far in their distribution; (d) the total number of connections issued to persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes of South Mumbai Lok Sabha Constituency of Maharashtra; (e) the impact of improved LPG coverage under the PMUY on the reduction of respiratory illnesses and indoor air pollution-related health conditions; (f) the initiatives taken by the Government to ensure safety, including initiatives relating to free inspections and replacement of LPG hoses (pipes) and that needy beneficiaries receive gas connections in adequate quantity; (g) the total number of distribution networks available across the country under the said scheme along with the number of networks out of them available in rural areas; and (h) the current status of E20 fuel availability at retail outlets in Dahod district? ANSWER प(cid:282)े ो(cid:871)लयम एवं (cid:292)ाकृ(cid:467)तक गैस म(cid:287)ं ालय म(cid:581) रा(cid:207)यम(cid:287)ं ी ((cid:302)ी सुरेश गोपी) MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI SURESH GOPI)(a) to (c): 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. 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, the 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 achieved by July 2024. Government has approved the release of 25 lakh additional LPG connections under PMUY during Financial Year 2025-26 to clear pending applications and achieve saturation of LPG access in the country.Government has approved an expenditure of ₹676 crore for the release of these connections, which includes ₹512.5 crore for providing 25 lakh deposit-free connections at the rate of ₹2,050 per connection, ₹160 crore for targeted subsidy of ₹300 per 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinder (for up to nine refills per year, proportionately pro-rated for 5 kg cylinders), and ₹3.5 crore towards project management expenses, transaction and SMS charges, Information, Education & Communication (IEC) activities, and administrative expenditure.Out of these 25 lakh new connections, as of 01.01.2026, OMCs have already released 10.35 lakh connections. The details of PMUY beneficiaries are not maintained at Constituency/Taluk level, however, district wise details in respect of Kanker, Balod, Dhamtari and Kondagoan (constitute Keshkal Tehsil) districts of Chhattisgarh, Dahod district of Gujarat and Mumbai City are as under. District, State Number of PMUY connections Kanker, Chhattisgarh 1,06,364 Balod, Chhattisgarh 1,14,550 Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh 1,41,224 Kondagoan, Chhattisgarh 90,133 Dahod, Gujarat 2,58,597 Mumbai City, Maharashtra 175 Source: IOCL on behalf of PSU OMCs (d) Out of total 175 PMUY connections in Mumbai City, a total of 24 connections belongs to SC/STs beneficiaries. (e): Prior to the launch of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), LPG coverage in the country was about 62%. With the implementation of PMUY, near-universal LPG coverage has now been achieved. As on 01.01.2026, more than 10.43 crore women from poor households are receiving benefits under PMUY. PMUY scheme has had a significant positive impact on the lives of rural households, especially women and families in rural and remote areas including shift from traditional cooking methods that involve burning solid fuels like wood, dung and crop residues. The useof cleaner fuel lowers indoor air pollution, leading to improved respiratory health, particularly among women and children who are traditionally more exposed to household smoke. A study conducted by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) highlighted that in 2019 the estimated annual average ambient air quality (PM2.5) levels of major Indian states were in the range of 5–16 μg/m³ under the business-as-usual scenario (without PMUY), whereas with the implementation of PMUY, the levels were estimated to be in the range of 4–8 μg/m³. This indicates that PMUY has a positive implication for both household and ambient air pollution. Further, an evaluation of PMUY conducted byIITKanpur across six states found that indoor air quality during cooking hours were nearly twice as good in households using LPG cylinders compared to low-LPG and traditional chulha-using households. The analysis of the PMUY survey carried out as part of this evaluation clearly demonstrates the health benefits of LPG usage under PMUY, especially for primary cooking persons. (f): Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) ensure that LPG connections are released after satisfying and meeting all the safety norms stipulated for installation of LPG connections. Provisions, norms and steps taken to ensure compliance with safety standards while providing connections in all areas are as under (i) Grant of approval for manufacturing units of LPG cylinders, valves and LPG regulators and design of these equipment, licensing of storage premises, cylinder testing and filling etc. is regulated under Gas Cylinder Rules 2016. (ii) Safe usage of LPG cylinders by Domestic LPG consumers, including PMUY beneficiaries are governed under Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order 2000. (iii) LPG cylinders are periodically tested for safety as per norms of the Chief Controller of Explosives, Petroleum & Explosive Safety Organisation(PESO). (iv) Supply of a laminated safety card with pictorial depictions of do’s and don’ts related to LPG connection to every PMUY beneficiary at the time of releasing LPG connections. Installation of LPG connection at premises of the customer by a trained mechanic. (v) Organisation of Safety Clinics by distributor to spread awareness about safety aspects of LPG. Dedicated round the clock helpline number (1906) for immediate action in case of LPG leakage complaints. (vi) Organisation of mass awareness programs on safe usage of LPG through audio- video/print media, banners/hoardings, leaflets, pamphlets, etc. (vii) Organisation of Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayats in villages to spread awareness about safe and sustained usage of LPG amongst PMUY beneficiaries. To improve awareness amongst LPG consumers, a Basic Safety campaign was organised during March, 2024 to December, 2024 across the country under the theme “Khushiyan Ab Teen Guna” with the objective of reaching the doorsteps of domestic LPG customers. The campaign was designed to educate consumers on the safe usage of LPG, complemented byextensive mass awareness initiatives through print and electronic media, on-site safety checks at customer premises, and the replacement of Suraksha hoses. The campaign achieved significant progress with over 12.12 crore free basic safety checks conducted at customer premises without any cost to consumer and more than 4.65 crore LPG hoses replaced at discounted rates. Additionally, audio-visual (AV) materials were utilized during various field safety initiatives, such as LPG Panchayats and LPG Safety Clinics in schools, as well as for general public outreach. These AVs were also shared across social media platforms to maximize reach and impact.Special emphasis was laid on covering PMUY beneficiaries and low-income group customers, to ensure safe usage of LPG and adequate availability of connections. (g): As on 01.01.2026, there are a total of 25,596 LPG distributorships operating across the country, out of which 17,668 distributorships are serving rural areas. These are served through 214 LPG bottling plants of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) located across the country. In order to improve access of LPG in rural and remote areas, OMCs have commissioned 8027 distributorships, during 01.04.2016 to 31.12.2025 across the country, out of which 7434 (i.e. 93 %) are catering to rural areas. (h): At present, 85 Retail Outlets the of PSU OMCs are serving the Dahod district of Gujarat and all are dispensing E20 fuel. ******