Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) is a flagship scheme that was launched in May 2016 by the Indian government with the goal of providing clean cooking gas to women who live below the poverty level in rural areas of India.
In 2016, the government set the target of distributing 5 crore LPG connections to BPL families by 2019. The initial budget for the scheme was INR 80 billion. The eventual goal is to make LPG connections available to the entire population of the country.
PMUY also offers support of INR 1600 per connection (for 14.2 kg cylinders) and INR 1150 per connection (for 5kg cylinders) to all BPL families. BPL families are identified through the Socio-Economic Caste Census Data.
Why Was the PMUY Scheme Launched?
The PMUY scheme is a part of the government’s social welfare plan. The government identified the following reasons for rolling out the PMUY scheme.
- Ensuring pan India access to LPG. Before 2016, only 61% of Indian households had access to LPG. The usage was mostly restricted to urban areas.
- Improving rural women’s health because the usage of traditional fuels like dry sticks, coal, and cow dung cakes is detrimental to their health.
- Increasing girls’ enrolment in schools because girls had been dropping out of schools to aid their mothers in collecting wood and making cow dung cakes for usage as fuel.
Who Is Eligible for PMUY?
The beneficiaries of the PMUY scheme are-
- Adult women who belong to households that are below the poverty line and do not have access to LPG.
- Women who belong to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Most Backward Classes, Tea or Ex-Tea Garden Tribes, or those who are beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin), Antyoday Anna Yojana, and forest and river island dwellers.
- Those with an existing LPG connection in their household are not eligible for it.
Documents needed for PMUY
Here are the documents one needs to furnish for a PMUY LPG connection-
- BPL certificate that is issued by the Panchayat Pradhan or Municipality chairperson
- Caste or Tribe certificate
- Know Your Customer (KYC)
- Aadhar Card
- Proof of address
- Ration card
- Bank account number and IFSC
PMUY Registration
People who cannot apply online for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana can collect the PMUY form from their nearest LPG distributor. Once the form has been filled out, the completed form and the required documents will need to be submitted to the distributor. The person will be registered soon after that and a connection will be installed in their home.
People who want to apply online have to visit www.pmuy.gov.in and download the registration form.
Subsidy on Gas Cylinders
The first LPG gas cylinder one receives after registering for PMUY is free of cost. After that, the government allows a subsidy of INR 200 per 14.2 kg cylinder for up to 12 cylinders in a year. This is the subsidy amount for 2023 and it is subject to change on a yearly basis. The subsidy is directly transferred to the beneficiary’s bank account. There are discussions ongoing to offer a subsidy on the 5kg gas cylinder refills as well.
The success story of PMUY
According to the government, the number of LPG connections released under the PMUY scheme till January 6, 2023, is 89,673,918.
So, it is safe to say that the PMUY scheme has been a success since its launch.
The scheme has also aided in developing a new market for LPG in rural India, which has in turn led to the growth of the LPG industry in the country by increasing its demand. New jobs have been created and that has resulted in an increase in employment. So, the PMUY scheme can be said to have not only improved the lives of women in rural India but it has also had a solid impact on the economy of the country.
Conclusion
The PMUY is a social welfare scheme that aims to help women gain access to LPG or clean cooking fuel. The scope of the scheme is increasing yearly as provisions are made to bring more women and their households under this scheme. More people have become aware of the benefits that PMUY offers and hence in 2022, the government announced that it is extending PMUY with 60 lakh new connections. More success awaits PMUY.
Also Read: Guide to Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana
Can a PMUY beneficiary buy a stove from the market even after the installation of the free LPG stove?
Where will I find the latest news on the guidelines of PMUY?
How can I find out if I am eligible for PMUY?
Is there any priority list when it comes to which customers will get their LPG connection first?
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