14 crore out of 25 cr people in state getting free ration: UP Minister

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh minister Lakshminarayan Chaudhary on Friday said 14 crore out of the 25 crore people in the state are getting free ration.

Chaudhary was replying to a question raised by Samajwadi Party member Ragini Sonkar during the question hour in the UP Assembly.

"Of over 25 crore people in the state, 14 crore are getting free ration," he said.

The minister also said that under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, a total of 1,75,02,198 free gas connections have been provided to the beneficiaries in the state till February 13.

Presently Rs 235.39 per cylinder refill subsidy (financial assistance) is being provided by the Centre to the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, he said.

Chaudhary, the minister for Sugarcane development, and was replying to another question raised by Sonkar on whether government will provide free gas cylinders to women amid rising inflation. SP member Pinky Singh Yadav said inflation was so high that gas connections were being sold "in junk" and asked whether the government should think about the women who are not able to fill gas cylinders.

Responding to her, the minister said no such information is there that people are unable to get their LPG refilled.