PM Modi’s flagship Ujjwala Yojana sees 23% growth in per capita consumption since 2017

The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) has witnessed a remarkable rise in the number of subsidised LPG refills, indicating a substantial 23 per cent growth in per capita consumption by consumers over the past five years. According to the data provided by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the PMUY beneficiaries who have been taking refills have been going up from just 3 Crore in 2017-18 to 6 Cr in 2018-19, 6.5 Cr in 19-20. 8Cr in 20-21, 8.05 Cr in 21-22 and 8.41 Cr in 22-23. Launched in May 2016 with the aim of enhancing access to LPG for underprivileged households and creating a behavioural change towards clean cooking, the PMUY has registered consistent and steady growth. [caption id=“attachment_12922712” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Source- Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.[/caption] India imports more than 60 per cent of its domestic LPG consumption, a senior official said, adding that the government continues to modulate the effective price of domestic LPG. Under the Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG (DBTL) scheme, subsidy as admissible and deposited in the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries. During the period 2020-21 to 2022-23, the average Saudi Contract Price (CP) of LPG went up from $415 per MT to $712 per MT, a senior official of the ministry said. However, the prices of domestic LPG were not raised for the Indian citizens by the Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and they suffered under-recoveries of approximately Rs.28000 crore on sale of domestic LPG, he said. [caption id=“attachment_12922732” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The percentage increase in average Saudi Contract Price (an international benchmark for LPG pricing) price from 2020 to 2022 was substantially higher than the average LPG price increase in the same period.[/caption] This scheme was designed to offer support to economically disadvantaged families, facilitating their transition towards clean cooking practices and fostering a positive behavioural change. The central government has taken several steps to encourage consumption of LPG, which include targeted subsidy of Rs.200/- per 14.2 Kg refill up to 12 refills/year for PMUY beneficiaries for years 2022-23 and 2023-24 besides option of 5 Kg Double Bottle Connection (DBC), swap option from 14.2 kg to 5 Kg, up to 3 free refills to PMUY beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package from April 2020 to December 2020 etc, it said. [caption id=“attachment_12922722” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Source- Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.[/caption] The official said that creating a behavioural change in a democratic society like India takes time and continuous effort. “The PMUY has successfully helped millions of poor households in their first step towards a healthy pollution-free life by providing them a free LPG connection,” he said. “Oil marketing companies under the ministry are continuing their efforts towards behavioural change through initiatives like LPG panchayat and public outreach,” he added.