Lok Sabha Question No. 1390 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-13
Subject: Beneficiaries under PMUY in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: Shri Malaiyarasan D

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1390 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13th February, 2025

## Beneficiaries under PMUY in Tamil Nadu

1390.   Shri Malaiyarasan D:

## पेĚोͧलयम एवं Ĥाक ृ Ǔतक गैस मंğी

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

- (a)  the  details  of  the  total  number  of  beneficiaries  under  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Ujjwala  Yojana (PMUY) across the country including Tamil Nadu;
- (b) the steps taken by the Government to ensure effective distribution of LPG connections to the women belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families under the scheme, particularly in rural and remote areas;
- (c) the details of the financial provisions made for the implementation of the Ujjwala Scheme in Tamil Nadu along with the progress made so far;
- (d)  the  impact  of  the  Ujjwala  Scheme  on  women's  health,  empowerment  and  environmental sustainability, particularly in Tamil Nadu;
- (e)  whether  the  Government  has  any  future  targets  for  extending  LPG  coverage  under  the Ujjwala Scheme and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether any new  initiatives or modifications are being considered to improve its implementation in Tamil Nadu and if so, the details thereof?

## 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  has  been  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 01.01.2025, there are 10.33 crore LPG connections under PMUY scheme, including 41 lakh connections in the state of Tamil Nadu.

LPG  consumption  of  PMUY  beneficiaries  is  monitored  on  regular  basis.  Consumption  of domestic  LPG  by  households  depends  on  several  factors  like  food  habits,  household  size, cooking habits, tradition, flavor, taste, preferences, price, availability of alternate fuels etc.

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

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  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). This is available to more than 10.33 crore Ujjwala beneficiaries, across the country. No future targets for extending LPG coverage under PMUY have been set.

In  order  to  improve  access  to  LPG  across  the  country  including  in  the  state  of  Tamil  Nadu, various  steps  have  been  taken  inter  alia,  including  organizing  campaigns  for  improving awareness about 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 LPG Panchayats, 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 www.pmuy.gov.in, nearest LPG distributors, Common Service Centres (CSC) 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. Further, OMCs are continuously commissioning new LPG Distributorships, especially in rural areas. Since the launch of PMUY  scheme, OMCs have commissioned 7944 Distributorships  (commissioned  during  01.04.2016  to  31.10.2024)  across  the  country,  out  of which 7361 (i.e. 93 %) are catering to rural areas.   The steadily rising consumption of domestic LPG by PMUY consumers indicative of growing acceptance of LPG by rural households. Per Capita Consumption of PMUY households has increased from 3.01 refills (in terms of 14.2 Kg domestic LPG cylinders) in 2019-20 to 3.95 in 2023-24 to 4.40 ( on annualised basis) in 202425, upto December 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.

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