New Delhi, June 10: Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has defended the government’s decision to reduce the number of subsidised LPG cylinder refills available under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), saying the move was necessitated by instances of misuse and diversion of subsidised cylinders.
The clarification comes amid criticism over the Centre’s decision to reduce the annual number of subsidised refills available to beneficiaries from nine to four.
Speaking to IANS on Wednesday, Puri said the government took the decision after examining utilisation patterns under the scheme and receiving information suggesting that some beneficiaries were not using the subsidised cylinders for household cooking purposes.
“Since this morning, there has been a lot of discussion that we have reduced the number of Ujjwala cylinders from nine to four. But if you do not need more than four cylinders, why would you need more?” the minister said.
According to Puri, evidence available with the government indicated that many beneficiaries did not require the additional subsidised cylinders and that some were allegedly being diverted for commercial use or transferred to others.
“We received credible information that many of our Ujjwala beneficiaries did not actually need the cylinders. They were taking the subsidised cylinder and either selling it for commercial use, diverting it, or giving it to someone else,” he said.
The minister argued that subsidised refills should be targeted at genuine household requirements and that providing additional cylinders where there is no demonstrated need would not serve the intended objective of the welfare programme.
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, launched in 2016, aims to provide clean cooking fuel to economically weaker households by offering LPG connections and subsidised refills. The scheme has been one of the flagship social welfare initiatives of the Central Government and has significantly expanded LPG coverage across rural and low-income households.
Government data over the years has shown a substantial increase in LPG adoption among women from economically disadvantaged families, reducing dependence on traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, coal and kerosene.
The reduction in subsidised refills, however, has drawn criticism from some quarters, with concerns being raised about the financial impact on low-income families that rely heavily on LPG for cooking.
Responding to such concerns, Puri maintained that the decision was based on actual consumption trends and was intended to curb misuse rather than restrict access for genuine beneficiaries.
During the interaction, the minister also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government’s governance model, stating that development-oriented policies have contributed to sustained public support for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Puri said voters have repeatedly endorsed the BJP because they associate the government with development, infrastructure growth and welfare delivery.
He further suggested that political opponents should focus on understanding and adopting a development-centric approach rather than criticising government initiatives.
The remarks come as the government continues to review welfare schemes and subsidy mechanisms to ensure that benefits reach intended recipients while reducing leakages and misuse.
