LPG connections up to 32.5 crore, says Union minister Hardeep Puri

New Delhi: Number of LPG connections increased from 14 crore in 2014 to 32.5 crore this year. Of these, 9.6 crore connections were provided under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

To create awareness and improve LPG usage among PMUY beneficiaries, the government and Oil Marketing Companies organised LPG panchayats, social media campaigns and public events across the country, the minister for petroleum and natural gas said during the Question Hour.

Highlighting the steps taken by the government to encourage LPG consumption, Puri said a subsidy of Rs 200 on 14.2 kg refill up to 12 refills per year had been given for 2022-23, in addition to the options of 5 kg Double Bottle Connection and swap from 14.2 kg to 5 Kg, upto three free refills under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package from April to December 2020.

The PMUY was launched in 2016.

Despite rise in international prices, he said, the government maintained a lower gas price. "Thanks to the measures taken by the government, we were able to confine the price of domestic gas to as little as 28 per cent even though international price had gone up to 303 per cent," he claimed.

Responding to concerns on decline in refills under PMUY, he said, the consumption by beneficiary was three cylinders per household but it had actually increased to 3.69 cylinders per household.