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PM Ujjwala Yojana: Exactly seven years ago today, on May 1, 2016, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh to provide free LPG connections to poor mothers and sisters with the aim of making them free from smoke. By February 1, 2023, there are a total of 9.59 crore active beneficiaries of this ambitious scheme of PM Modi. The government itself has informed about this. But seven years after the launch of the scheme, how many beneficiaries are taking advantage of this scheme is a big question. Because there has been a tremendous increase in the prices of LPG cylinders in these seven years.
Huge increase in LPG prices after 2016!
When Prime Minister Modi launched the PM Ujjwala scheme, the non-subsidised LPG cylinder used to be refilled between Rs 631 to Rs 650 in different cities. On which the government used to give a subsidy of about 200 rupees. 12 cylinders used to be included in the subsidy in a year, after 12 cylinders were refilled, subsidy was not available. But in today’s date, Rs 1103 has to be spent for refilling the same non-subsidised LPG cylinder. Means 75 percent more cost has to be paid. Those who were taking subsidized cylinders 9 to 10 years ago, had to pay almost 150 percent more. However, after May 2022, the central government started giving a subsidy of Rs 200 per cylinder to the beneficiaries of the PM Ujjwala Yojana for 12 cylinders in a year, whose term has now been extended till March 31, 2024.
Beneficiaries are not refilling due to expensive cooking gas
Even after this, in 2013, where Rs 434 had to be paid for subsidized LPG cylinders. Now despite the subsidy, Rs 900 has to be paid. Expensive cooking gas has spoiled the budget of people’s homes. According to the statistics of the government, the beneficiaries of PM Ujjwala are not getting the cylinders refilled due to the expensive cooking gas.
4.15 crore beneficiaries did not get a single cylinder refilled in 5 years
In the monsoon session of 2022, the government told the Parliament that in the last five years, 4.13 crore beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana have not got a single LPG cylinder refilled. Minister of State for Petroleum Rameshwar Teli had given this information in writing in the Parliament. He told that there are a total of 7.67 crore beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana who have got only one LPG cylinder refilled. He told that out of total 30.53 crore active LPG customers in 2021-22, 2.11 domestic LPG customers have not refilled a single cylinder. 2.91 crore LPG customers have refilled only one cylinder.
Government’s argument for 300 percent hike in LPG prices
On 2 February 2023, the government told the Parliament that under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, per capita LPG cylinder consumption which was 3.01 cylinders in 2019-20 has increased to 3.68 in 2021-22. He told that there has been a jump of 300 per cent in the prices of LPG in the international market. But its full burden was not put on the customers. Due to which the government oil companies had to suffer huge losses. He said that the government had to pay a compensation of Rs 22,000 crore to the government to make up for the loss of government oil companies.
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