PMUY Beneficiaries to Get Free LPG Refills | 01 Oct 2025

Why in News?

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet has approved the distribution of two free LPG cylinders to 18.6 million beneficiary families during Holi and Diwali under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), emphasising the government's support for low-income households.

• This initiative underscores the government's continued commitment to women's health and empowerment, with an estimated cost of Rs 1,385.34 crore for providing the free refills.

Key Points

• About: 
  • The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOPNG) introduced the ‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana’ (PMUY) as a flagship scheme with the objective of making clean cooking fuel, such as LPG, available to the rural and deprived households, which were otherwise using traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, coal, cow-dung cakes, etc. 
• Objectives: 
  • Empowering women and protecting their health. 
  • Reducing the number of deaths in India due to unclean cooking fuel.
  • Preventing young children from a significant number of acute respiratory illnesses caused by indoor air pollution from burning fossil fuels. 
• Features: 
  • The scheme provides financial support of Rs 1600 for each LPG connection to the BPL households. 
  • Along with a deposit-free LPG connection, Ujjwala 2.0 will provide the first refill and a hotplate free of cost to the beneficiaries.
• Benefits of PMUY:
  • The eligible beneficiaries receive a free LPG connection.
  • The beneficiaries also receive a subsidy on the first six refills of 14.2 kg cylinders or eight refills of 5 kg cylinders.
  • The beneficiaries can opt for an EMI facility to pay for the cost of the stove and the first refill.
  • The beneficiaries can also join the PAHAL scheme to receive the subsidy amount directly in their bank accounts.
• Phases of PMUY:
  • Ujjwala 1.0: The scheme, launched on 1st May 2016, aimed to provide 8 Crore LPG connections to deprived households by March 2020.
  • Ujjwala 2.0: To cover the remaining poor households, the Government launched Ujjwala 2.0 in August 2021. 
    • Under Ujjwala 2.0, a special provision was made for migrant families, allowing them to avail a new LPG connection through a self-declaration instead of requiring Proof of Address and Ration Card.
• Consumption Trends: Globally, PMUY is the biggest program of its kind that provides Domestic LPG to more than 10.33 crore poor households at an effective price of just about Rs. 35/Kg. 
• Top States: Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan are the top states leading the PMUY implementation.