New Delhi: The Centre has defended its decision to reduce the number of subsidised LPG refills under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) from nine to four a year, informing the Parliament that most beneficiaries consume fewer than five cylinders annually and that the scheme continues to support sustained use of clean cooking fuel.
In a written response Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi said on Thursday that the PMUY has around 10.58 crore beneficiaries across the country as of 1 July 2026, and “all PMUY connections released under the scheme continue to remain active beneficiaries”.
The government also defended its recent rationalisation of LPG refills amid criticism over rising cooking gas prices.
“The per Consumer Consumption (PCC) among PMUY beneficiaries is 4.71 cylinders per year in FY 2025-26,” the minister stated in the reply. “In view of the refill average during FY 2025-26, provision of targeted subsidy support for up to four refills annually has been assessed as appropriate for continuing affordability support… while enhancing targeting efficiency and ensuring prudent rationalisation of subsidy expenditure.”
The reply added that reduction applies only to the number of subsidised refills and “does not impose any restriction on the purchase of additional LPG refills at market prices.”
The government also argued that despite a sharp increase in international LPG prices due to the West Asia conflict, consumers continue to receive substantial support.
It said the Saudi Contract Price (CP), the international benchmark for LPG, rose to US$796 per metric tonne in June 2026, pushing the market linked price of a 14.2 kg domestic cylinder to Rs 1,695. However, the retail selling price was maintained at Rs 942, implying an under-recovery of over Rs 700 per cylinder in June.
For PMUY consumers, who receive an additional targeted subsidy of Rs 300 per cylinder, the effective price in Delhi was Rs 642. The government added that even after reducing the number of subsidised refills, “all the consumers continue to avail implicit subsidies (under-recovery) of more than Rs. 500 per cylinder during July 2026.”
The reply also sought to counter concerns that beneficiaries continue to depend on traditional cooking fuels.
Citing an April 2026 NITI Aayog evaluation, the government said 86.59 percent of PMUY households use LPG as their predominant primary cooking fuel, while 74.27 percent of surveyed beneficiaries reported lower indoor air pollution after switching to LPG.
According to the NITI Aayog evaluation, many beneficiaries have also reported reduced cough, breathlessness, eye irritation, smoke inhalation, headaches and dizziness after adopting LPG cylinders.
The reply also referred to studies by TERI (The Energy and Resource Institute) and IIT Kanpur, which said PMUY has improved health and reduced household as well as ambient air pollution.
The government, however, acknowledged that many households continue to practise “fuel stacking” – using multiple cooking fuels simultaneously.
“It was also reported that beneficiaries prefer LPG for festivals, weddings and large gatherings because it is quick, clean and convenient. Many still keep wood or dung cakes for some dishes, mainly due to tradition or taste preferences,” the reply stated.
State-wise refill data submitted to Parliament shows that in FY2025-26, millions of PMUY beneficiaries still purchased four or fewer cylinders, while a sizable number also did not purchase a single refill during the year.
However, at the same time, the number of beneficiaries buying more than four refills has risen steadily in several large states in FY 2025-26 including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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