Cabinet approves Expansion of Ujjwala Yojana; PMUY beneficiaries will reach to 10.35 Crore

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the extension of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) for the distribution of 75 lakh LPG connections over three years, from the financial year 2023-24 to Financial Year 2025-26.

Provisioning of 75 lakh additional Ujjwala connections will take total number of PMUY beneficiaries to 10.35 crore.

Key LPG details in 2014 vs 2023

According to the current Ujjawala 2.0 modalities, the first refill and cooker will be provided free of charge to Ujjwala beneficiaries.

PMUY customers will receive a targeted subsidy of Rs.200 per 14.2 kg LPG cylinder for up to 12 refills per year. Without the continuation of PMUY, eligible poor households may be unable to receive the full benefit of the scheme.

Women’s comfort through clean cooking

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 2.4 billion people (roughly one-third of the global population) cook with open fires or inefficient stoves powered by kerosene, biomass (such as wood, animal dung, and crop waste), and coal. This causes harmful household air pollution, which is estimated to cause 3.2 million deaths per year by 2020, with over 237,000 of those deaths being children under the age of five. Achieving a sustainable and pollution-free future necessitates addressing the issue of household air pollution, particularly to protect women and children.

Previously, impoverished communities in India, particularly in rural areas, used traditional fuels such as firewood, coal, and dung cakes without being aware of the negative health effects. As a result, they faced health issues without knowing what was causing them. It has been widely reported that illnesses such as pneumonia, lung cancer, ischaemic heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease increase the risk of death. Nonrenewable wood fuels for cooking emit a gigatonne of CO2, and residential solid fuels account for 58% of black carbon emissions. They also contribute significantly to household air pollution (HAP) due to incomplete combustion of solid biomass.

According to research, this is also a gender issue: girls and women are more likely to be exposed to solid fuels. Cooking with solid fuels slows progress towards five of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The PMUY scheme has given women economic and social empowerment. Women are no longer burdened with the task of collecting firewood or other traditional fuels, which often required long and exhausting journeys. This newfound ease allows them to become more involved in community life and pursue other income-generating opportunities.

Furthermore, the Ujjwala scheme has contributed to women’s safety and security by eliminating the need for them to travel to isolated and potentially dangerous areas to collect firewood or fuel.

Initiatives to expand LPG coverage

PAHAL (Pratyaksh Hastantarit Labh)

Instead of providing subsidised LPG cylinders, those were sold at market value, and any applicable subsidy was electronically transferred to the individual’s bank account. This reduced “ghost” accounts and illegal commercial use of household cylinders, ensuring that only the intended beneficiaries received benefits.

GIVE IT UP

Instead of forcibly removing subsidies, people were encouraged to voluntarily surrender them. Through extensive promotion, millions of people willingly gave up the subsidies, allowing the funds to be directed to those who truly needed assistance in obtaining LPG cylinders.

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana

During the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown in 2020, a free refill scheme was implemented under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. This scheme provided Rs. 9670.41 Crore in assistance to PMUY beneficiaries in support of 14.17 Crore LPG refills.

Per capita consumption of PMUY beneficiaries which was 3.01 in 2018-19 has increased to 3.71 in 2022-23. PMUY beneficiaries took more than 35 Cr LPG refills a year now (2022-23).