The Union Cabinet on Tuesday gave a nod to an additional subsidy of Rs 200 per LPG cylinder under the Ujjwala scheme. With this, the total subsidy will be Rs 400 per cylinder for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) beneficiaries.
A 14.2-kg LPG cylinder costs Rs 1,103 in New Delhi currently. It will cost Rs 903 from Wednesday. Meanwhile, the price will be Rs 703 for Ujjwala beneficiaries after the latest subsidy.
Addressing a press briefing, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that the Prime Minister has decided Rs 200 reduction in the price of domestic LPG cylinders for all users. "This is a gift from PM Narendra Modi, to the women of the country, during the occasion of Raksha Bandhan," Thakur added. Under the Ujjwala scheme, 75 lakh women will get a free gas connection on the occasion of Rakhi and Onam, he added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that a reduction in gas prices will increase the comfort of the people. "The festival of Raksha Bandhan is a day to spread happiness in our family. The reduction in gas prices will increase the comfort of the sisters in my family and make their lives easier. May every sister of mine be happy, be healthy, be happy, this is my wish from God," he wrote on 'X' (formerly known as Twitter).
Beneficiaries of Ujjwala scheme
At present, there are 9.6 crore beneficiaries of the scheme. According to reports, India is dependent on imports for 60 per cent of its natural gas requirements. Thakur further said that the Modi government has initiated several schemes for the development of women, including pucca houses, toilets, additional foodgrains and Direct Benefit transfers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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