Budget 2026: ₹9,200cr allocated for LPG connections to poor households
What's the story
The Indian government has allocated ₹9,200 crore in the 2026 budget to provide Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) connections to poor households. This is a marginal increase of about 1.1% from last year's allocation of ₹9,100 crore. The budget also allocates ₹1,500 crore for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of LPG, emphasizing the government's commitment toward clean cooking fuel access and targeted subsidy support.
Scheme details
Ujjwala scheme
The distribution of LPG connections to poor households, popularly known as the Ujjwala scheme, is one of the flagship initiatives of the Modi government. According to a report by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) released on January 27, there are around 10.41 crore LPG beneficiaries under this scheme as of January 2026. The government has approved an additional 25 lakh connections for FY 2025-26 to achieve saturation in LPG coverage.
Process simplification
PMUY beneficiaries receive targeted subsidy
To make access faster and more inclusive, the government has simplified the eligibility process through a single Deprivation Declaration. PMUY beneficiaries get a targeted subsidy of ₹300 per 14.2kg cylinder for up to nine refills per year. This support has led to an increase in LPG usage, with average per capita consumption rising from about three refills in 2019-20 to 4.85 refills annually in FY 2025-26.