New Delhi – In a significant move with an eye on the forthcoming Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Central Government has elevated the subsidy provided to economically disadvantaged women who have availed of cooking gas connections under the Ujjwala scheme. The subsidy has been raised from the existing Rs 200 to a more substantial Rs 300 per cylinder.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur made the official announcement regarding this cabinet decision.
The #Cabinet has officially raised the subsidy allocation for beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, now providing Rs 300 per LPG cylinder, up from the previous Rs 200.
— Union Minister @ianuragthakur #CabinetDecisions pic.twitter.com/pgu85Hpg6B
— PIB India (@PIB_India) October 4, 2023
Presently, Ujjwala beneficiaries incur a cost of Rs 703 for a 14.2-kg cylinder, in contrast to the market price of Rs 903. Following this cabinet decision, their expenditure will be reduced to Rs 603.
Notably, this move follows last month’s Union Cabinet approval for the expansion of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), aimed at incorporating an additional 75 lakh underprivileged households into the scheme over the next three years, entailing an estimated expenditure of Rs 1,650 crore.
This development is set against the backdrop of an increasingly competitive political landscape and underscores the government’s commitment to supporting disadvantaged segments of society.