Lok Sabha Question No. 5488 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-03
Subject: PMUY in Gorakhpur
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: Shri Ravindra Shukla Alias Ravi Kishan

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5488 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03 rd  April, 2025

## PMUY in Gorakhpur

†5488. Shri Ravindra Shukla Alias Ravi Kishan:

## पेĚोͧलयम एवं Ĥाक ृ Ǔतक गैस मंğी

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

- (a)  the  number  of  families  in  Gorakhpur  district  received  free  LPG  connections  under  the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY);
- (b) the steps taken by the Government to ensure timely refill availability to Ujjwala beneficiaries in the said districts;
- (c) the steps taken to ensure the timely refilling and distribution of LPG cylinders in the district;
- (d) whether the Government has faced any challenges in implementing the said scheme in remote areas of Gorakhpur, if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the impact of the said scheme on improving the health and quality of life of women and reducing indoor air pollution in Gorakhpur; and
- (f) the details of total amount allocated and utilized under this scheme in Gorakhpur?

## 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) to (f): 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 for  the  period  FY  2023-24  to  2025-26  which  has  already  been  achieved  during  July

2024. As on 01.03.2025, there are 10.33 crore PMUY connections across the country including 2.94 lakh in Gorakhpur district.

To ensure the timely availability of LPG refills, LPG consumers including PMUY beneficiaries can book a refill by various methods including Interactive Voice Response System(IVRS), Short Message  Service(SMS),  Whatsapp,  calling  directly  on  the  phone  of  distributor,  e-commerce platforms,  OMC  mobile  applications,  OMCs  web-portals  etc.  These  different  options  provide enhanced user accessibility for seamless and hassle-free booking of LPG refills.

Implementation of PMUY across the country including in Gorakhpur is monitored closely by the Government.  Difficulties  in  implementation  were  mainly  related  to the identification of households, difficult terrain, low awareness on usefulness of LPG etc. To improve access of LPG in  rural  and  remote  areas,  OMCs  have  commissioned  7959  Distributorships  (commissioned during 01.04.2016 to 31.12.2024) across the  country, out of which 7373  (i.e. 93 %) [Rurban1024,  Gramin-  4974,  Durgam  Kshetriya  Vitraks  and  Rajiv  Gandhi  Gramin  LPG  Vitrak (DKV+RGGLV) - 1375] are catering to rural areas. Further, LPG coverage in the country has improved from 62% in April 2016 to near saturation now. To create awareness about the scheme and also to address any issue pertaining to LPG usage, OMCs regularly conduct LPG Panchayats for the customers.  The Government has taken several steps to encourage better consumption of LPG by PMUY beneficiaries, which include deferment of loan recovery from subsidy amount, Swap option from 14.2 kg to 5 Kg to reduce upfront cash outgo, option of 5 Kg Double Bottle Connection,  Conducting  Pradhan  Mantri  LPG  Panchayat  to  convince  the  beneficiaries  to  use LPG on sustained basis, mass awareness camps etc. As a result of these efforts, LPG coverage in the country has improved from 62% in April 2016 to near saturation now.

No State/UT/District wise allocation of funds is done under PMUY. Since the launch of PMUY till financial year 2022-23, Government has borne 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 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.

To  make  LPG  more  affordable  to  PMUY  consumers  and  ensure  sustained  usage  of  LPG  by them, Government started a targeted subsidy of Rs.200/- per 14.2 kg cylinder for up to 12 refills per annum (and proportionately pro-rated for 5 Kg connections) to the PMUY consumers in May

2022.  In  October  2023,  Government  increased  the  targeted  subsidy  to  Rs.300  per  14.2  kg cylinder  for  up  to  12  refills  per  annum  (and  proportionately  pro-rated  for  5  Kg  connections). 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.503 per cylinder (in Delhi). 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. 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 3.68 (FY 2021-22) to 3.95 in

FY 2023-24, and 4.43 in FY 2024-25 (as on 01.03. 2025).

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