Government has provided ten crore 51 lakh LPG connections to women from poor households so far under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.

The scheme was launched in May, 2016 with an objective to provide deposit-free LPG connections to women across the country. Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi said this in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today. He said the scheme had resulted in a shift from traditional cooking methods that involve burning solid fuels like wood, dung and crop residues.

Mr Gopi said, 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. The Minister said, the government is providing a targeted subsidy of three hundred rupees per cylinder for up to nine refills of 14.2 Kg cylinders per annum for 2025-26.