The Union Cabinet has approved the release of a grant for LPG connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana for over 3 years with a total financial implication of Rs 1,650 crore, said Union Minister Anurag Thakur in a briefing on September 13.
To be sure, this is an approval for 75 lakh free connections that were announced earlier as a part of LPG price subsidies to counter the cheaper cooking gas. The government had earlier announced that it would provide an additional 75 lakh Ujjwala connections, which will take the total PMUY beneficiaries to 10.35 crore.
According to the official statement, the total financial implication of the LPG subsidy will be Rs 1,650 crore for each connection at the following rates:
14.2 kg Single Bottle Connection – Rs. 2200 per connection
5 kg Double Bottle Connection – Rs. 2200 per connection
5 kg Single Bottle Connection – Rs. 1300 per connection
As per the existing modalities of Ujjwala 2.0, the first refill and stove will also be provided free of cost to Ujjwala beneficiaries.
The government also stated that a targeted subsidy of Rs. 200 per 14.2 kg LPG cylinder for up to 12 refills per year is being provided to PMUY consumers. Without the continuation of PMUY, eligible poor households may not be able to get their due benefit under the scheme.
"LPG connections to poor households will provide access to clean cooking fuel, helping in addressing health problems caused by the use of traditional sources of cooking fuel such as firewood, coal, cow dung, etc. This will, in turn, enhance the productivity of women, raise their quality of life by removing drudgery associated with the collection of wood, and insure them against non-availability of cooking fuel at times," the government said in a release.
PMUY has so far contributed to an increase in LPG penetration in the country from 62 percent in 2016 to near saturation now.
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