Amid criticism over the government’s decision to reduce the number of subsidised LPG cylinder refills under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) from nine to four annually, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Wednesday that the move was prompted by misuse of the scheme by some beneficiaries.
In an interaction with IANS, Puri highlighted that the move was based on evidence that many beneficiaries did not require the additional cylinders and that some were being diverted for commercial 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? Why did we do this?” he said.
He argued that if a household does not require more than four cylinders a year, there is little justification for providing additional subsidised refills.
“We did it because we received credible information that many of our Ujjwala beneficiaries did not actually need the cylinders. They were taking the Rs 300 cylinder and either selling it for commercial use, diverting it, or giving it to someone else for Rs 300 more,” Puri told IANS.
The government, he indicated, took the decision after assessing the utilisation pattern of the scheme and identifying instances of misuse.
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana was launched to provide clean cooking fuel to economically weaker households by offering LPG connections and subsidised refills.
During the interaction, Puri also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance model, saying the opposition should understand and adopt the development-focused approach pursued by the Prime Minister.
According to the minister, voters have repeatedly backed the BJP under PM Modi’s leadership because they associate the government with development and delivery on the ground.
