Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

With the tagline “Swachh Indhan, Behtar Jeevan”, Union Government has launched a social welfare scheme “Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana” (PMUY) on 1st May 2016 under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

The scheme envisages of smoke free Rural India and aims to benefit five crore families especially the women living below poverty line (BPL) by providing concessional LPG connections to entire nation by 2019. The scheme will increase the usage of LPG and would help in reducing health disorders, air pollution and deforestation.

Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas is implementing the scheme.

Salient Features

1. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved Rs 8000 crore for the next 3 years.
2. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana will provide 5 crore LPG connections to BPL families, with the financial support of Rs 1600.
3. Budget Speech of 2016 had announced about the scheme and made a budgetary provision of Rs 2000 crore in the current Financial Year (FY).
4. Connections will be issued on the name of women beneficiaries.
5. EMI facility will also be provided for stove and refill cost.
6. It is complimentary to Prime Minister’s Give It Up campaign under which 75 lakh middle class and lower middle class households have voluntarily given up their cooking gas subsidy.

Objectives

1. To promote women empowerment
2. To provide a healthy cooking fuel
3. To prevent hazards health related issues among the millions of rural population due to use of fossil fuel.

Budget and Funding

Total budget allocation of Rs. 8000 crore has been made by the Government for implementation of the scheme over three years starting from FY 2016-17. The Government has already assigned Rs. 2000 crore for implementation of PMUY 2016-2017. Government will distribute LPG connections to about 1.5 crore BPL families within the current financial year.

The scheme will be implemented using the money saved in LPG subsidy through the “Give-it-Up” campaign. The Indian Government has so far saved nearly Rs. 5,000 crore in LPG subsidy. Since the launch of “Give-it-Up” campaign, 1.13 crore people have given-up subsidies and are buying LPG cylinders at market price.

Financial Assistance

The scheme provides a financial support of Rs. 1600 for each LPG connection to the eligible BPL households. The connections under the scheme will be given in the name of women head of the households. The government will also provide EMI facility.
Implementation
This is first time in the history that Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas is implementing such an enormous welfare scheme which will benefit crore of women belongs from BPL families.

The identification of eligible BPL families will be made in consultation with the State Governments and the Union Territories. This Scheme would be implemented over three years, namely, the FY 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19.

Eligibility Criteria

1. The applicant should be women above the age of 18 years.
2. The applicant must be a rural inhabitant carrying a BPL card.
3. The women applicant should have a saving bank account in any nationalized bank across the country to receive subsidy amount.
4. The applicant’s household should not already own a LPG connection.

Required Documentation

1. BPL ration card.
2. BPL Certificate Authorized by Panchayat Pradhan / Municipality Chairman.
3. One Photo ID (Aadhar Card or Voter ID Card).
4. One recent passport size photograph.
5. The basic details such as Name, Contact details, Jan Dhan / Bank account number, Aadhar card number etc.