Lok Sabha Question No. 5426 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-03
Subject: PMUY Beneficiaries
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: Smt. Mahima Kumari Mewar, Shri Mahendra Singh Solanky, Shri Madhavaneni Raghunandan Rao, Shri Naba Charan Majhi, Shri Vishnu Dayal Ram

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5426 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03 rd  April, 2025

## PMUY Beneficiaries

5426.   Shri Vishnu Dayal Ram:

Shri Madhavaneni Raghunandan Rao:

Shri Mahendra Singh Solanky:

Shri Naba Charan Majhi:

Smt. Mahima Kumari Mewar:

## पेĚोͧलयम एवं Ĥाक ृ Ǔतक गैस मंğी

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

- (a) whether the Government has provided any specific relaxation to migrant households to get a LPG connection under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the number of PMUY beneficiaries who have refilled their LPG cylinders during the last two years; and
- (c)  the  manner  in  which  the  PMUY  has  led  to  a  significant  impact  on  the  lives  of  rural households, especially women and families in rural and remote areas of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh particularly in Dewas Lok Sabha Constituency?

## 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  (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 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. Details of LPG connections, as on 01.03.2025, under PMUY Scheme in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and Dewas Lok Sabha constituency (which covers Dewas, Sehore, Agar Malwa and Shajapur district) are at Annexure- A .

LPG connection under PMUY is released in the name of adult women of the poor households, provided  no  LPG  connection  exists  in  the  name  of  any  family  member  of  the  household  and fulfilling other terms and conditions. Under Ujjwala 2.0, a special provision has been made for migrant families who can use a self-declaration instead of Proof of Address and Ration Card to apply for a PMUY connection.

Out of the 8.99 crore PMUY connections released as on 01.04.2022, 8.34 crore customers have availed at least one refill during last two financial years i.e. between April 2022 and March 2024.

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  referred  to  in  part  (a)  to  (c)  of  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.  5426    to  be answered on 03.04.2025 regarding 'PMUY Beneficiaries' asked by Shri Vishnu Dayal Ram,Shri Madhavaneni Raghunandan Rao, Shri Mahendra Singh Solanky, Shri Naba Charan Majhi and Smt. Mahima Kumari Mewar.

Details of connections released under PMUY Scheme -

## As on 01.03.2025

| State/UT       | Number ofPMUY Customers   |
|----------------|---------------------------|
| Madhya Pradesh | 88,47,087                 |
| Rajasthan      | 73,81,514                 |

Source: Indian Oil Corporation Limited on Industry basis

| District   |   Number of PMUY Connections (In lakh) |
|------------|----------------------------------------|
| Dewas      |                                   1.3  |
| Sehore     |                                   1.75 |
| Shajapur   |                                   1.34 |
| Agar Malwa |                                   0.84 |

Source: IOCL on industry basis