Lok Sabha Question No. 1844 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-14
Subject: LPG Connections under PMUY
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: Sanghamitra Maurya, Sandhya Ray, Manoj Kumar Tiwari, Ramesh Bidhuri, Dhal Singh Bisen

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. - 1844 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14 th  DECEMBER, 2023

## LPG Connections under PMUY

†1844. DR. SANGHMITRA MAURYA: SHRIMATI SANDHYA RAY: SHRI MANOJ TIWARI: SHRI RAMESH BIDHURI: DR. DHAL SINGH BISEN:

पेोिलयम एवं ाक ृ ितक गैस मं ी

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

(a) the total number of LPG connections that have been disbursed under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana  (PMUY)  across  the  country,  State/UT-wise  including  Bhind  Datia  Constituency  in Madhya Pradesh;

(b) the quantum of funds spent in Bhind Datia Constituency under PMUY during the last four years, year-wise;

(c)  whether it is a fact that about ten crore  LPG connections have been discontinued or under disbursed under PMUY and if so, the details thereof;

- (d)  the  strategies  adopted  and  efforts  made  to  increase  LPG  coverage  in  the  country  under PMUY; and

(e) the manner in which the said initiative has positively impacted the lives of rural households with a special focus on women and families residing in remote areas of the country including rural areas of Bhind in Madhya Pradesh?

## ANSWER ( ) MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS

## पेोिलयम एवं ाक ृ ितक गैस मं ालय म रायमंी ी रामेर तेली (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

(a) to (e): Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was started in May, 2016 with an objective to  provide access of clean cooking fuel to poor households across the country. Under PMUY, deposit free LPG connections are provided to adult women from poor households as per defined criteria.  As  of  30.09.2023,  9.59  Crore  PMUY  connections  have  been  released  in  the  country including  1.62  lakh  in  Bhind  &  1.06  lakh  in  Datia  districts.  State/UT-wise  details  of  LPG connections released under PMUY are at Annexure .

No State/UT/District wise allocation of funds is done under PMUY. Since launch of PMUY till financial  year  2022-23,  Government  has  been  bearing  an  expenditure  of  upto  Rs.  1600  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 been 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. Year-wise details of LPG connections released under PMUY in Bhind & Datia districts of Madhya Pradesh during the last four years are as under :-

| District   |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |
|------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Bhind      |     17122 |         0 |     22100 |      6414 |
| Datia      |     11943 |         0 |      8376 |      1952 |

Domestic  LPG connections under PMUY are not discontinued. PMUY connections are either blocked/terminated if beneficiaries are found to have submitted incorrect eligibility information at the time of enrolment or are surrendered based on request of the beneficiaries.

In  order  to  increase  LPG  coverage  in  the  country  various  steps  have  been  taken  including organizing campaign for promotion of PMUY, organizing melas/camps to enroll and distribute connections,  promotion  through  Out  of  Home  (OOH)  hoardings,  radio  jingles,  Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Vans etc., spreading awareness about advantages of using LPG  over  other  conventional  fuels  and  safe  usage  of  LPG  through  Pradhan  Mantri  LPG Panchayat (PMLP), enrolment/awareness camps under Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, facilitation of consumers and their families for Aadhar enrolment and opening of bank accounts for getting PMUY connections, simplification of process of getting LPG connection, online application for PMUY connection  at  pmuy.gov.in,  nearest  LPG  distributors,  Common  Service  Centre  (CSC) centres etc., option of 5 Kg Double Bottle Connection (DBC), swap option from 14.2 Kg to 5 Kg, provision for Migrant Families to avail new connection on Self-Declaration instead of Proof of Address  and Ration Card.

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.

Annexure referred in parts (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1844 to be answered on 14.12.2023 regarding 'LPG Connections under PMUY'

| Number of PMUYbeneficiaries         | Number of PMUYbeneficiaries   |
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| State/UT                            | As on 30.09.2023              |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands         | 13,444                        |
| Andhra Pradesh                      | 5,12,433                      |
| Arunachal Pradesh                   | 49,245                        |
| Assam                               | 44,14,012                     |
| Bihar                               | 1,07,35,289                   |
| Chandigarh                          | 659                           |
| Chhattisgarh                        | 34,92,160                     |
| Dadra &Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 15,033                        |
| Delhi                               | 1,42,024                      |
| Goa                                 | 1,265                         |
| Gujarat                             | 38,42,970                     |
| Haryana                             | 7,67,162                      |
| Himachal Pradesh                    | 1,40,776                      |
| UT of Jammu and Kashmir             | 12,45,232                     |
| Jharkhand                           | 36,46,176                     |
| Karnataka                           | 37,57,307                     |
| Kerala                              | 3,41,210                      |
| UT of Ladakh                        | 11,094                        |
| Lakshadweep                         | 309                           |
| Madhya Pradesh                      | 82,27,217                     |
| Maharashtra                         | 48,89,709                     |
| Manipur                             | 2,02,029                      |
| Meghalaya                           | 2,14,851                      |
| Mizoram                             | 33,595                        |
| Nagaland                            | 91,806                        |
| Odisha                              | 53,20,752                     |
| Puducherry                          | 14,835                        |
| Punjab                              | 12,83,827                     |
| Rajasthan                           | 69,26,442                     |
| Sikkim                              | 13,795                        |
| Tamil Nadu                          | 37,03,824                     |
| Telangana                           | 11,52,806                     |
| Tripura                             | 2,83,503                      |
| Uttar Pradesh                       | 1,75,00,658                   |
| Uttarakhand                         | 4,96,431                      |
| West Bengal                         | 1,23,70,935                   |

Source: Indian Oil Corporation Limited on industry basis