NEW DELHI: The Cabinet on Wednesday fixed the cost of Rs 75 lakh extra free LPG connectionsto give to poor households among the Ujjwala scheme by 2025-26, at Rs 1,650 crore.
The additional Ujjwala connections were announced by the government on August 29, along with a cut of Rs 200 LPG top up price. The approval of the financial implication paves the way for rollout.
According to a government statement, eligible poor households may not have been entitled to the benefit without the continuation of the scheme. There is a demand for 15 lakh Ujjwala connections by August 31.
Some eligible households are still without LPG connection due to a host of reasons ranging from addition of households due to population growth, marriages, migration and remote locations, the statement said.
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur said the state fuel retailers will initially cover the cost of the connections. The government reimburses them for the expenses, based on the number of connections actually added.
The cost of each connection with one cylinder of 14.2 kg or two refills of 5 kg has been fixed at Rs 2,200. The price of a connection with one refill of 5 kg has been fixed at Rs 1,300. A heater and initial refill will also be provided without charging households, in accordance with the provisions of the scheme.
Ujjwala is one of the key welfare schemes of the Narendra Modi government. It was launched in May 2016 with an aim to save women in poor households from the unhealthy effects of smoke from biomass chulhas (furnaces).
The scheme has helped push LPG penetration in the country to near saturation from 62% in 2016. The average annual consumption is currently about four per Ujjwala household.
The government has restored LPG subsidy for Ujjwala consumers to Rs 200 per cylinder as part of the Covid relief, which will also be applicable for the additional connections. The LPG subsidy for general domestic consumers was abolished in June 2020 following the pandemic-induced crash in oil and gas prices.
The additional Ujjwala connections were announced by the government on August 29, along with a cut of Rs 200 LPG top up price. The approval of the financial implication paves the way for rollout.
According to a government statement, eligible poor households may not have been entitled to the benefit without the continuation of the scheme. There is a demand for 15 lakh Ujjwala connections by August 31.
Some eligible households are still without LPG connection due to a host of reasons ranging from addition of households due to population growth, marriages, migration and remote locations, the statement said.
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur said the state fuel retailers will initially cover the cost of the connections. The government reimburses them for the expenses, based on the number of connections actually added.
The cost of each connection with one cylinder of 14.2 kg or two refills of 5 kg has been fixed at Rs 2,200. The price of a connection with one refill of 5 kg has been fixed at Rs 1,300. A heater and initial refill will also be provided without charging households, in accordance with the provisions of the scheme.
Ujjwala is one of the key welfare schemes of the Narendra Modi government. It was launched in May 2016 with an aim to save women in poor households from the unhealthy effects of smoke from biomass chulhas (furnaces).
The scheme has helped push LPG penetration in the country to near saturation from 62% in 2016. The average annual consumption is currently about four per Ujjwala household.
The government has restored LPG subsidy for Ujjwala consumers to Rs 200 per cylinder as part of the Covid relief, which will also be applicable for the additional connections. The LPG subsidy for general domestic consumers was abolished in June 2020 following the pandemic-induced crash in oil and gas prices.
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