The central government has taken action to address inflation by reducing the price of cooking gas cylinders (LPG) by Rs 200. This reduction in price will benefit all households that own LPG cylinders. Additionally, recipients of the Ujjwala system will now receive a total subsidy of Rs 400.
Under the Ujjwala scheme, beneficiaries already receive a subsidy of Rs 200. This scheme will benefit approximately 10 crore people. As a result of the government’s decision, Ujjwala Yojana recipients will now be able to purchase one LPG cylinder for Rs 703. Furthermore, the government plans to provide additional LPG connections to 75 lakh families through the Ujjwala scheme. This will bring the total number of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries to 10.35 crore. Currently, a domestic cylinder in Delhi costs Rs 1,103. This policy played a significant role in the BJP’s victory in the 2019 elections and is expected to benefit the Modi government once again.
The Congress party has criticized the central government for linking this decision to elections. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge stated on social media that electoral gifts are being given only when votes decrease. Kharge accused the Modi government of feigning sympathy for mothers and sisters after exploiting people’s hard-earned money for years. He emphasized that a Rs 200 subsidy will not satisfy the country’s concerned citizens in 2024. Kharge also mentioned that the opposition alliance INDIA is good for Modi, and the public has made its decision to defeat inflation by showing the exit door to the BJP.
The “Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana” was launched by the Central Government on May 1, 2016, with the aim of achieving smokeless rural India. Government data shows that in 2022-23, 88 percent of poor families received refills under the Ujjwala scheme. The number of beneficiaries taking refills has steadily increased over the years, from 3 crore in 2017-18 to 6 crore in 2018-19, 6.5 crore in 2019-20, 8 crore in 2020-21, 8.05 crore in 2021-22, and 8.41 crore in 2022-23. The total number of refills taken by beneficiaries of the Ujjwala Yojana has risen from 16 crore in 2018-19 to 35 crore in 2022-23.
