Holi Gift: Uttar Pradesh government announces free gas cylinder scheme for Holi

As the festival of Holi approaches, the Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh has announced a special scheme to provide free LPG cylinders to eligible families under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. With just 10 days left for Holi, around 1.75 crore beneficiaries in the state are set to benefit from this initiative. 

Under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, the government aims to provide two free gas cylinder refills annually to poor women in the state, with a budget allocation of Rs 2,312 crore for the year 2023-24.

The scheme, launched by Prime Minister Modi in 2016, requires beneficiaries to link their bank accounts with Aadhaar to avail of the benefits. Since its inception, over 1.31 crore gas cylinders have been distributed to Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries in Uttar Pradesh. The distribution has been carried out in two phases, with 80.30 lakh beneficiaries receiving refills between November 1 and February 15, and 50.87 lakh women benefiting from the second phase, ongoing since January 1.

In addition to the state government’s initiative, Prime Minister Modi recently announced a reduction of Rs 100 in the price of LPG cylinders. This reduction comes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and aims to alleviate the financial burden on households. With the price decrease, the 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinder is now available at Rs 803 in Delhi, Rs 802.50 in Mumbai, Rs 818.50 in Chennai, and Rs 829 in Kolkata.