Lok Sabha Question No. 2900 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-08
Subject: Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: Shri Selvam G

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 2900 TO BE ANSWERED ON 8th August, 2024

## Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in Tamil Nadu

2900.   Shri Selvam G:

## पेĚोͧलयम एवं Ĥाक ृ Ǔतक गैस मंğी

Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state:

(a)  the number of Below Poverty Line (BPL)/Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe families covered under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), especially in Tamil Nadu;

(b)  whether the Government has noticed that the beneficiaries of PMUY scheme are not refilling their connection due to hiked LPG price/lack of funds;

(c)    if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  response  of  the  Government  thereto  including reducing the price of LPG cylinders or subsidy provided, if any, State/UT-wise;

(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

## पेĚोͧलयम एवं Ĥाक ृ Ǔतक गैस मंğालय मɅ राÏयमंğी ( Įी सुरेश गोपी )

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI SURESH GOPI)

(a): Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched on 01.05.2016 to release deposit free LPG connection to adult women from poor households across the country. The target to release 8 crore connections was achieved in September, 2019. To cover the remaining poor households, PMUY phase-2 (Ujjwala 2.0) was launched in August 2021 and till January 2023, 1.60 crore Ujjwala  2.0  connections  had  been  released.  Further,  in  view  of  fresh  requests,  in  September 2023,  Government  approved  release  of  additional  75  lakh  PMUY  connections.  OMCs  have completed  the  release  of  these  75  lakh  PMUY  connections  as  of  8th  July  2024.  As  on 01.07.2024,  there  are  10.33  crore  LPG  connections  under  PMUY  including  41.00  lakh connections  in  the  State  of  Tamil  Nadu  and  out  of  which  12.7  lakh  connections  are  released under SC/ST category. The details of State/UT-wise the number of Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe families covered under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana PMUY including Tamil Nadu are at Annexure - A .

(b) & (c): Under PAHAL Scheme, the domestic LPG cylinders are sold at non-subsidised price and  the  applicable  subsidy  to  the  consumers  is  transferred  directly  into  their  bank  accounts. Government reduced the retail selling price of domestic LPG for all consumers by Rs. 200 per 14.2 Kg LPG cylinder with effect from 30th August, 2023. Government further reduced the RSP of domestic LPG by Rs. 100 per 14.2 Kg cylinder w.e.f. 9th March, 2024. The current RSP of domestic LPG at Delhi is Rs. 803 per 14.2 Kg cylinder.

W.e.f. 21st May, 2022, Government has been providing a targeted subsidy of Rs. 200 per 14.2 Kg LPG cylinder for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) beneficiaries for upto 12 refills a year. Moreover, w.e.f.  5th October, 2023, Government increased the targeted subsidy to Rs. 300 per 14.2 Kg LPG cylinder for all Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) beneficiaries. With a targeted  subsidy  of  Rs.  300  per  cylinder  (and  proportionately  prorated  for  5  Kg  cylinder), effective cost for PMUY consumers is Rs. 503 per 14.2 Kg cylinder (at Delhi) currently.

The current  RSP  of  domestic  LPG  at  Delhi  is  Rs.  803  per  14.2  Kg  cylinder.  With  a  targeted subsidy of Rs. 300 per cylinder (and proportionately prorated for 5 Kg cylinder), effective cost for PMUY consumers is Rs. 503 per 14.2 Kg cylinder (at Delhi) currently.

The details of State/UT-wise number of PMUY beneficiaries (as on 31.03.2024) along with the details of beneficiaries who  have  taken  at least one  refill during FY  2023-24  are  at Annexure - B.

(d) & (e): The primary objective of the PMUY is to provide access to clean cooking fuel LPG to such  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.LPG consumption of PMUY beneficiaries is monitored on regular basis.

OMCs  are  continuously  commissioning  new  LPG  distributorships,  especially  in  rural  areas. Since the launch of PMUY scheme, OMCs have commissioned 7905 Distributorships across the country,  out  of  which  7325  (i.e.  93  %)  are  catering  to  rural  areas  (commissioned  during 01.04.2016  to  30.06.2024).  As  a  result  of  these  efforts,  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 (FY 2023-24).

Further, 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)The  use  of  LPG  for  cooking  reduces  the  risk  of  accidents  related  to  open  fires,  which  is particularly  important  for  the  safety  of  women  and  children.  Accidental  burns  and  injuries associated  with  traditional  cooking  methods  are  minimized,  contributing  to  a  safer  household environment.

(v) 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.

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Annexure referred to in part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2900 to be answered on 08.08.2024 regarding " Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in Tamil Nadu' asked by Shri Selvam G.

State/UT-wise number of connections released under PMUY scheme as on 01.07.2024

| State/UT                          | Total PMUY consumers   | SC/ST consumers underPMUY   |
|-----------------------------------|------------------------|-----------------------------|
| Andaman &Nicobar                  | 13,824                 | 738                         |
| Andhra Pradesh                    | 9,69,282               | 1,73,563                    |
| Arunachal Pradesh                 | 53,794                 | 32,400                      |
| Assam                             | 50,97,006              | 8,79,825                    |
| Bihar                             | 1,16,27,899            | 21,78,543                   |
| Chandigarh                        | 2,027                  | 44                          |
| Chhatisgarh                       | 37,88,873              | 17,23,905                   |
| Dadra Nagar-haveli and Daman &Diu | 17,861                 | 13,626                      |
| Delhi                             | 2,57,774               | 57,812                      |
| Goa                               | 1,957                  | 568                         |
| Gujarat                           | 43,07,900              | 10,41,011                   |
| Haryana                           | 11,14,647              | 4,09,646                    |
| Himachal Pradesh                  | 1,50,817               | 46,860                      |
| Jammu &Kashmir                    | 12,69,989              | 2,87,658                    |
| Jharkhand                         | 38,95,544              | 12,35,076                   |
| Karnataka                         | 41,47,825              | 12,59,847                   |
| Kerala                            | 3,87,869               | 77,939                      |
| Ladakh                            | 11,085                 | 8,991                       |
| Lakshadweep                       | 361                    | 276                         |
| Madhya Pradesh                    | 88,36,653              | 34,69,574                   |
| Maharashtra                       | 52,17,632              | 14,67,809                   |
| Manipur                           | 2,24,921               | 70,107                      |
| Meghalaya                         | 3,16,589               | 1,59,496                    |
| Mizoram                           | 35,989                 | 28,317                      |
| Nagaland                          | 1,22,123               | 48,341                      |
| Odisha                            | 55,49,341              | 20,40,060                   |
| Pondicherry                       | 19,338                 | 7,292                       |
| Punjab                            | 13,59,364              | 10,35,732                   |
| Rajasthan                         | 73,80,647              | 29,73,677                   |
| Sikkim                            | 19,904                 | 3,040                       |
| Tamil Nadu                        | 41,00,279              | 12,69,245                   |
| Telangana                         | 11,85,753              | 5,06,270                    |
| Tripura                           | 3,15,418               | 1,55,002                    |
| Uttar Pradesh                     | 1,85,94,511            | 48,75,461                   |
| Uttarakhand                       | 5,30,136               | 1,53,685                    |
| West Bengal                       | 1,23,75,656            | 36,41,036                   |

Source: Indian Oil Corporation Limited on industry basis

Annexure referred to in part (b) & (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2900 to be answered on  08.08.2024  regarding  "  Pradhan  Mantri  Ujjwala  Yojana  in  Tamil  Nadu'  asked  by  Shri Selvam G.

|                                    | Number of Connections released under PMUY as on 31.03.2024   | Number of beneficiaries taken at least one refill during FY 2023-24   |
|------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Andaman &Nicobar Islands           | 13,827                                                       | 12,786                                                                |
| Andhra Pradesh                     | 9,68,332                                                     | 8,67,521                                                              |
| Arunachal Pradesh                  | 53,789                                                       | 44,084                                                                |
| Assam                              | 50,92,071                                                    | 38,11,520                                                             |
| Bihar                              | 1,16,19,851                                                  | 1,02,25,760                                                           |
| Chandigarh                         | 2,025                                                        | 1,926                                                                 |
| Chhattisgarh                       | 37,85,197                                                    | 25,22,454                                                             |
| Dadra &Nagar Haveli and Daman &Diu | 17,812                                                       | 17,363                                                                |
| Delhi                              | 2,56,931                                                     | 2,46,538                                                              |
| Goa                                | 1,956                                                        | 1,884                                                                 |
| Gujarat                            | 43,04,694                                                    | 39,58,700                                                             |
| Haryana                            | 11,12,992                                                    | 10,55,352                                                             |
| Himachal Pradesh                   | 1,50,837                                                     | 1,36,387                                                              |
| Jammu &Kashmir                     | 12,69,743                                                    | 10,82,622                                                             |
| Jharkhand                          | 38,95,366                                                    | 29,35,533                                                             |
| Karnataka                          | 41,48,108                                                    | 38,57,842                                                             |
| Kerala                             | 3,87,761                                                     | 3,52,031                                                              |
| Ladakh                             | 11,089                                                       | 8,778                                                                 |
| Lakshadweep                        | 365                                                          | 341                                                                   |
| Madhya Pradesh                     | 88,32,154                                                    | 72,23,788                                                             |
| Maharashtra                        | 52,15,785                                                    | 47,96,545                                                             |
| Manipur                            | 2,24,999                                                     | 1,97,074                                                              |
| Meghalaya                          | 3,16,624                                                     | 2,49,336                                                              |
| Mizoram                            | 36,031                                                       | 32,069                                                                |
| Nagaland                           | 1,22,199                                                     | 1,02,290                                                              |
| Odisha                             | 55,47,343                                                    | 46,17,453                                                             |
| Puducherry                         | 19,322                                                       | 18,293                                                                |
| Punjab                             | 13,59,705                                                    | 12,66,083                                                             |
| Rajasthan                          | 73,77,084                                                    | 68,17,478                                                             |
| Sikkim                             | 19,911                                                       | 18,041                                                                |
| Tamil Nadu                         | 41,01,978                                                    | 37,49,244                                                             |
| Telangana                          | 11,85,624                                                    | 10,52,642                                                             |
| Tripura                            | 3,15,462                                                     | 1,94,239                                                              |
| Uttar Pradesh                      | 1,85,92,478                                                  | 1,70,71,006                                                           |
| Uttarakhand                        | 5,30,167                                                     | 4,71,746                                                              |
| West Bengal                        | 1,23,76,395                                                  | 1,02,01,066                                                           |

Source: Indian Oil Corporation Limited on industry basis