Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY): Benefits, Eligibility Criteria, and Application Process Explained

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched on May 1, 2016, by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi from Ballia Uttar Pradesh. The primary objective of this scheme is to offer free LPG connections to women from BPL families. The government initially targeted 5 Crore connections, which has been increased to 8 Crore; it even reached 8 Crores on September 7, 2019, seven months in advance.

PMUY is launched by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas so that rural and deprived families are able to use clean cooking fuel like LPG instead of the destructive traditional fuels like firewood, coal, and cowdung cakes. These traditional fuels may cause health hazards to womenfolk and create environmental degradation through their ingestion or consumption

The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) is active till 2024. The scheme has further been extended with the benefits of extra provisions. The Union Cabinet accorded approval for the release of 75 lakh additional LPG connections between FY 2023-24 and FY 2025-26, thereby reaching a total number of 10.35 crore PMUY beneficiaries. The scheme also provides targeted subsidies amounting to ₹300 per cylinder besides up to 12 refills per year. It is being ensured that LPG accessibility is provided at affordable prices for beneficiaries.

There are still houses in India that use firewood and coal as sources of fuel for their cooking. Although these sources take long periods to fetch, they expose the consumers to a serious health hazard. Wood smoke pollution may lead to chronic respiratory diseases especially in women and children.

Well, the PMUY launched clean cooking fuel for low-income families. This would replace traditional fuels with liquefied petroleum gas; thus, healthy living and leaving the environment alone.

In this article, you will find the benefits of PMUY, eligibility criteria, and how to apply step by step. So, by the end of this article, you will know how to take advantage of this great initiative.

Benefits	Description
Better Health and Wellbeing	LPG transition can lead to good health conditions.
Lower Respiratory Diseases	Clean cooking ensures fewer chances of respiratory diseases caused by inhaling smoke.
Time Saved from Firewood Collection	Families save hours by not gathering firewood and can dedicate time to work or schooling.
Economic Empowerment	PMUY helps bring financial security to households.
Increased Household Income	Families use saved time for income-generating activities, improving economic status.
Less Fuel Consumption	LPG is often cheaper in the long term, reducing household expenditure.
Environmental Aspect	Conserves the environment by reducing dependence on traditional fuels.
Cut on Forest Clearance	Reduces deforestation caused by firewood collection.
Low Carbon Emissions	LPG produces less carbon compared to traditional fuels, lowering the carbon footprint.

One of the main objectives of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) is clean cooking fuel for the economically weaker section of society, mainly in rural areas. The scheme aims at the following goals:

Elimination of Health Hazards : Minimize the bad health effects of indoor pollution from traditional fuels, such as wood, coal, and dung cakes.

Empowerment of Women: It will empower women through the linking of LPG for BPL households and will lighten up the burden of physically gathering traditional fuel.

Encourage adoption of clean energy. Promotion of the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas as a clean and efficient alternative source of fuel for cooking.

Improve Livelihoods: Promote safe, healthy, and convenient cooking as an avenue for improving living conditions.

Another reason is that the program is also aligned with other wide-reaching environmental changes since the program decreases the rates of deforestation and quantity of greenhouse gases used in conventional fuels.

A beneficiary under the Ujjwala 2.0 scheme shall be a resident adult female belonging to an LPG-free household.

Eligibility is determined based on the list of the 2011 Socio-Economic Caste Census. All those women whose households are enumerated under the SECC are entitled to apply.

Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes house holds

Beneficiaries of the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY).

Most Backward Class (MBC) members .

River islands. (River islands are small pieces of land in a river, made from sand and soil.)

Those people, coming under these above mentioned categories, can apply by furnishing evidences of the aforementioned conditions.

If a woman does not also come under any of the above mentioned categories she too can apply by using the 14-Point Declaration Format which discloses her economic hardship .

Certain households are not eligible for PMUY.

Households already having an LPG connection cannot apply.

Some communities may have specific eligibility rules based on social status.

It is available only to the adult females but not to the male members of the family, who may not submit applications, and to a household already having a connection to an LPG.

The government will provide valid proof of identity and address, along with any requisite documents related to their category, to the applicants. Ujjwala 2.0 will also render free first refill and stove necessary to facilitate the transition to clean cooking fuel.

Document	Description
Valid Photo ID	Government-issued photo identification document.
Ration Card/Other State Govt. Document	Ration card or State Government-issued document certifying family composition. Migrant applicants can submit a self-declaration as per Annexure I.
Proof of Address	Aadhaar will serve as both Proof of Identity and Proof of Address if the connection is required at the same address. Otherwise, additional proof may be needed.
Bank Account Number and IFSC	Details of the applicant’s active bank account for subsidy transfer.
Exemption for Aadhaar	Aadhaar is not mandatory for residents of Assam and Meghalaya.
Passport Size Photo	A recent passport-size photograph of the applicant.

Steps to Apply Offline in Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana:

Step Wise Process: Visit a Local LPG Distributor: Identify your nearest LPG distributors authorized by Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, or Hindustan Petroleum.

Collect an Application Form: Ask the distributor for the Ujjwala Yojana application form. Most of the places, these forms are available free. Fill in the form:

Fill in all the personal details such as name, address, age, and Aadhaar number. Also mention the type of cylinder you wish to obtain (5 kg or 14.2 kg). Attach Required Documents:

Duly filled Application Form Copy of your Aadhaar card for identity proof.

Ration card or SEBC 2011 proof with SC/ST certificates or statuses of PMAY or any other proofs in 14-point format of that group.

 Hand over the form along with attached documents to LPG Distributor for submission. They would later verify and send an approval at the end.

The distributor will verify your application, and eligibility. If all the information provided is correct, your LPG connection would be arranged.

After sanction, you will get a free LPG connection with the stove, and the refill for the first cylinder as a part of Ujjwala 2.0.

Local officials and representatives of the gas agency assist in filling up forms and applying. Ensure your number is seeded to Aadhaar for authentication. If there are any other queries, call the PMUY helpline or contact the distributor’s office.

Official Website Navigation (Site Link)

Visit the official PMUY website to start the application. Clear instructions guide you through each step.

Following are the requirements for the registration process:

Aadhar Card

Ration card

Address Proof

Passport size photograph

Bank Details

Apply the application form through online official website.

Select the oil company name example Indane / Bharatgas / HP Gas

Select Type of Connection like Ujjwala 2.0 New Connection

Choose State, District and Name of Distributor.

Enter Mobile Number, Captcha and OTP.

Select Migrant Family status in YES or NO

For family Identifier in NO fill Annexure 1

For family Identifier in Yes fill Ration Card Category select.

Fill all Family Details, Personal details, address details, bank details, Choose Cylinder Types, Select rural or urban and select declaration and submit. 

Generate Reference number and visit Gas agency.

Documents Required Valid Photo ID Ration Card issued by the State from which application is being made/ other State Govt. document certifying family composition/ Self-Declaration as per Annexure I (for migrant applicants)

Proof of Address – Aadhaar shall be considered as Proof of Identity and Proof of Address in case connection is required to the same address. In that case only, Aadhaar is sufficient.

Bank Account Number along with IFSC.

Aadhaar (Not mandatory for Assam and Meghalaya)

Passport size photograph.

The PMUY is a government initiative scheme that provides help to the poor families of India. This facility under this program provides free gas cylinders and stoves for cooking purposes. This is done because their intake of these families with poisonous fuels is stopped from entering into wood and coal, which leads to weakening their health.

This scheme is mostly helpful for females. This is specifically helpful for women as it saves time and effort of work. It also proves effective in the protection of the environment. By applying for it through their Aadhaar card and proof of income, one will acquire this benefit.

It allows priority to some specific categories like SC/ST households, forest dwellers, and so on; however, any woman from an economically weaker household can apply under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana with proper documentation.

Yes, all those households having an existing LPG connection would not be eligible to apply for the PMUY Scheme.

To check the status of your PMUY application, you can follow these steps:

Visit the Official Website: Go to the official PM Ujjwala Yojana website: https://pmuy.gov.in/

Alternatively, you can contact the Ujjwala Yojana helpline at 1800-266-6696 for any inquiries or assistance.

Actually, LPG price varies due to various reasons. The factors include crude oil international prices and government policies. So, to make lesser impact of price volatility upon household, specially the economically backward household, the ministry of petroleum provides subsidies.

No security deposit is required to establish a PMUY connection. You can choose either a 14.2 kg cylinder at Rs. 1600 or a 5 kg cylinder at Rs. 1150. Free first LPG refill and free stove (hot plate) accompanies each PMUY beneficiary with their connection.

You can contact the Ujjwala Yojana helpline at 1800-266-6696 for any inquiries or assistance.

Disclaimer: “For the most accurate and up-to-date information, refer to official government resources or contact local authorities.”

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