NEW DELHI, Jun 9: The Congress on Tuesday criticised the Centre over the reduction in the number of subsidised LPG cylinder refills available under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), claiming the move would place an additional financial burden on economically weaker families.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge questioned the government’s commitment to supporting low-income households, alleging that beneficiaries of welfare schemes are increasingly facing economic hardship. Referring to the Ujjwala scheme, he said the original promise of providing 12 subsidised LPG cylinders annually has gradually been scaled back over the years.
According to Kharge, the number of subsidised refills was first reduced from 12 to nine and has now been brought down to four per year. He argued that the decision would make clean cooking fuel less accessible for millions of families that depend on government assistance.
The Congress leader also linked the issue to rising household expenses, asserting that repeated increases in cooking gas prices have made LPG refills unaffordable for many beneficiaries. He claimed that a significant number of households enrolled under the scheme are struggling to continue using LPG and may be forced to revert to traditional cooking methods.
The opposition’s criticism comes after a recent increase in domestic LPG prices. The cost of a standard 14.2-kg cooking gas cylinder in Delhi has risen to Rs 942 from Rs 913. However, PMUY beneficiaries will continue to receive a subsidy of Rs 300 per cylinder on the first four refills each year, resulting in an effective price of Rs 642 per refill.
The latest revision follows an earlier increase announced in March, taking the cumulative rise in LPG prices over recent months to Rs 89 per cylinder.
Defending the pricing structure, the government has maintained that domestic consumers in India continue to pay comparatively lower LPG prices than many countries despite volatility in international energy markets. Officials have pointed to escalating global fuel costs following geopolitical tensions in West Asia, which have significantly increased the cost of supplying cooking gas.
According to government estimates, the expenditure involved in delivering a domestic LPG cylinder has risen sharply and now exceeds Rs 1,600 per unit due to higher international prices and supply chain pressures. Authorities argue that subsidy support under the Ujjwala scheme continues to provide substantial relief to eligible households while balancing the fiscal burden on public finances.
The debate over LPG affordability is expected to remain a key political issue, with opposition parties demanding greater support for vulnerable families and the government stressing the challenges posed by global energy market fluctuations.