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Women Empowerment
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PM Ujjwala Yojana — Clean Cooking Fuel for 10.33 Crore Poor Households
Last verified: May 2026 · 6 min read · JaBaSu Knowledge Commons
At a Glance
| Parameter |
Detail |
| Full Name |
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) |
| Current Phase |
PMUY 3.0 — launched 2025 with online application process |
| Launched |
1 May 2016 (Ballia, Uttar Pradesh) |
| Nodal Ministry |
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas |
| Status |
Active — 10.33 crore connections as of March 2025 |
| New extension |
Additional 25 lakh connections approved (currently being released, May 2026) |
| Subsidy (FY 2025-26) |
Rs. 300/cylinder for up to 9 refills/year; total outlay Rs. 12,000 crore |
| Average refills per year (FY25) |
4.47 (up from 3.01 in FY20) |
| Free package on connection |
LPG connection (deposit-free) + first refill + stove (hotplate) |
| Official portal |
pmuy.gov.in |
| Helpline |
1800-266-6696 (Ujjwala helpline) / 1800-233-3555 |
Who Is Eligible?
Eligible categories (any one)
- BPL (Below Poverty Line) ration card holder
- PMJDY account holder
- SC/ST household member
- PMAY (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana) beneficiary
- Forest dweller (tribal community member)
- Most Backward Class (MBC) member
- Nomadic and semi-nomadic tribal family member
- Riverine island/tea garden/plantation worker
What Is It?
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is the government's free LPG connection programme for women from poor households — designed to eliminate traditional biomass cooking (wood, cow dung, coal) and replace it with clean cooking fuel. Launched on 1 May 2016, it has given 10.33 crore LPG connections to poor women across India — making it the largest clean cooking fuel programme in the world.
The problem PMUY addresses is specific and well-documented by WHO: cooking on traditional biomass stoves generates indoor air pollution equivalent to smoking 400 cigarettes a day. Women and young children — who spend the most time near the cookstove — bear this health burden almost entirely. Respiratory infections, chronic lung disease, low birth weight, and premature death have been causally linked to biomass smoke exposure. PMUY replaces the cookstove that causes this with a clean fuel connection — and India has achieved near-universal LPG coverage (32.94 crore total domestic connections as of March 2025) from 14.52 crore connections in 2014.
The scheme has evolved through three phases:
- PMUY 1.0 (2016-2019): 8 crore connections targeting BPL families
- Ujjwala 2.0 (2021-2024): 1.6 crore additional connections with special provision for migrant families; self-declaration accepted as address proof
- PMUY 3.0 (2025-present): Online application process introduced; 25 lakh additional connections approved
What PMUY Provides — Free at Connection
Every PMUY connection includes the following at zero cost to the beneficiary:
- Deposit-free LPG connection — no security deposit required (government pays Rs. 2,050 for a 14.2 kg cylinder connection)
- First refill — the first gas cylinder is provided free
- Stove (hotplate) — a single or double burner hotplate is provided free
- Complete connection kit: Security deposit of cylinder (borne by OMC), pressure regulator, suraksha hose, Domestic Gas Consumer Card booklet, and installation charges — all covered
Ongoing subsidy (FY 2025-26): Rs. 300 per 14.2 kg cylinder subsidy for up to 9 refills per year (Rs. 12,000 crore annual outlay). After the subsidy, PMUY beneficiaries in Delhi paid approximately Rs. 803/cylinder in 2025 vs. Rs. 1,103 without subsidy. Effective cost is approximately Rs. 35/kg — among the cheapest LPG access anywhere globally.
How to Apply
Online (PMUY 3.0 — from 2025):
Visit pmuy.gov.in → Select your preferred OMC (HPCL, BPCL, or IOC) → Apply online → Submit Aadhaar and self-declaration → OMC conducts due diligence → Connection issued
Offline:
Visit any LPG distributor of HPCL, BPCL, or IOC with:
- Aadhaar card (beneficiary and adult family members)
- Bank account details (passbook copy or cancelled cheque)
- BPL ration card or other eligibility proof
- For migrants: self-declaration form (available at distributor)
Check beneficiary status: pmuy.gov.in → PMUY beneficiary list → search by state and district
What NGOs Need to Know — the Practical Reality
1
Refill affordability — not connection access — is the current challenge. With 10.33 crore connections achieved, PMUY coverage is near-saturation. The residual challenge is not connection access but refill affordability: despite the Rs. 300 subsidy, a 14.2 kg cylinder at Rs. 800+ is a significant expenditure for a family earning Rs. 250/day or less. The average PMUY family uses 4.47 refills per year — meaning for roughly 8 months of the year, they supplement or revert to biomass. NGOs can address this not by more connections but by supporting income generation (through SHG enterprise, FPO market access, and other livelihood programmes) that increases families' ability to afford refills.
2
Tribal communities in remote areas face distributor distance barriers. A PMUY connection is usable only when a cylinder can be refilled — which requires the beneficiary to either transport an empty cylinder to the distributor or arrange home delivery. In remote tribal habitations in Malkangiri, Koraput, or Rayagada, the nearest distributor may be 20+ km away. NGOs can advocate with OMCs for distributor appointments in underserved areas, or for doorstep delivery mechanisms using micro-distribution models.
3
The 5 kg cylinder option is underutilised and highly relevant. PMUY families can opt for 5 kg cylinders instead of 14.2 kg — which are cheaper per refill, lighter to carry, and more aligned with the purchasing power and storage capacity of very poor households. The subsidy is proportionately pro-rated for 5 kg cylinders. NGOs working in PMUY communities should communicate this option.
4
PMAY-G + PMUY convergence is the full-kitchen model. PMAY-G provides the pucca house; PMUY provides the clean cooking connection; JJM provides the piped water tap; PMUY provides the LPG stove. The four together create a safe, clean, dignified kitchen for a tribal household. NGOs facilitating PMAY-G construction can simultaneously ensure PMUY connections are in place before the house is completed.
5
Cylinder safety and maintenance awareness is absent. PMUY connections include a safety hose but no safety training in most cases. LPG cylinder-related accidents — from damaged hoses, improper storage, and cylinder leakage — are documented in rural areas where beneficiaries have no prior LPG experience. NGOs can integrate a one-hour LPG safety session into their health or women's programme activities.
How JaBaSu Helps NGOs Connect Their Communities
Residual connection facilitation
For tribal households in partner NGO communities that are still without connections — particularly in PVTG and remote areas — JaBaSu helps navigate the application process through the nearest LPG distributor or through the online portal, using the self-declaration provisions for migrant and tribal households.
Distributor gap documentation
JaBaSu formally documents areas in partner NGO districts without a functioning LPG distributor within reasonable distance — and escalates to the respective OMC (HPCL/BPCL/IOC) district office and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for new distributor appointment.
PMAY-PMUY-JJM convergence
JaBaSu's PMAY-G facilitation work specifically includes PMUY connection as a convergence deliverable — ensuring that PMAY beneficiary families access the cooking fuel connection and water connection alongside their pucca house construction.
Refill affordability advisory
JaBaSu's livelihood programme advisory helps SHG-connected women's enterprises generate income that increases refill affordability — creating the demand-side complement to PMUY's supply-side access.