About the Scheme
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOPNG) introduced Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in May 2016 as a flagship scheme to bring clean cooking fuel such as LPG to rural and deprived households that were cooking with firewood, coal, cow-dung cakes and similar traditional fuels. These fuels harmed the health of rural women as well as the environment. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the scheme on 1 May 2016 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh.
How the Scheme Has Grown
- The target was to release 8 crore LPG connections to deprived households by March 2020.
- On 7 September 2019, the Prime Minister handed over the 8th crore LPG connection in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
- The release of these connections helped raise LPG coverage from 62% on 1 May 2016 to 99.8% as on 1 April 2021.
- The Union Budget for FY 21-22 made provision for an additional 1 crore LPG connections under PMUY, and in this phase a special facility was given to migrant families.
Key Benefits Explained
Along with the deposit-free connection, every PMUY beneficiary receives the first LPG refill and a stove (hot plate) free of cost, and a 5 kg cylinder can also be taken under the scheme. States whose LPG coverage was below the national average as on 1 January 2016 are given priority.
Who Should Apply and Who Cannot
The scheme is for an adult woman from a poor household with no existing LPG connection. She qualifies if she is on the SECC 2011 list; if her household is SC/ST; if she is a PMAY or AAY beneficiary; or if she belongs to Forest Dwellers, Most Backward Classes, Tea and Ex-Tea Garden Tribes, or lives on a river island (with a supporting document). A woman outside these groups can still claim eligibility by submitting the prescribed 14-point declaration. Men cannot apply, and a poor household with no adult woman is not eligible.
Applying: Practical Points
- The bank account given must be in the applicant's own name.
- Aadhaar serves as both identity and address proof when the connection is needed at the same address; Aadhaar is not mandatory in Assam and Meghalaya.
- Migrant applicants without a ration card from the state of application can use the Annexure I self-declaration.
- An email ID is not needed, and the mobile number need not be linked with Aadhaar.
- If the ration card does not show your date of birth, Aadhaar can be used to validate your age.
- After submitting the online form, note the reference number and take it to the gas agency.