Over 8 crore Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries will be entitled to a total of three 14.2-kg LPG cylinders for free between April to June, a move that will cost the government an estimated Rs 13,000 crore.
The free cooking gas cylinders was a part of the package announced by the Finance Minister to deal with the economic impact of the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Welcoming the relief package, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the move was an example of responsive governance in challenging times.
Pradhan said that measures such as cash transfer, insurance cover, ensuring food security and the decision to provide free LPG cylinders for 3 months to all the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana will give relief to millions of poor and ensure that no one in the country goes hungry.
The government had given out over 8 crore free cooking gas connections to poor women particularly in the rural area since the launch of the Ujjwala scheme in 2016.