Congress attacks Centre over Ujjwala subsidy cut, says govt ‘intoxicated by power’

The Congress on Tuesday accused the Narendra Modi government of betraying poor households by sharply reducing the number of subsidised LPG cylinder refills available under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), alleging that it was "intoxicated with power" while ignoring the hardships faced by women.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the government's much-publicised poverty alleviation programmes were steadily being diluted, claiming that beneficiaries of the Ujjwala scheme were now receiving only a fraction of the support originally promised.

In a post on X, Kharge said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the Ujjwala scheme in 2016 with a promise of 12 subsidised LPG cylinders annually to free women from dependence on traditional wood-fired stoves.

"Last year, the number of subsidised refills was reduced from 12 to nine. Now it has been cut further from nine to just four. The promise was 12 cylinders, but the intention was only to provide four," he alleged.

The Congress chief also claimed that repeated increases in LPG prices had made refills unaffordable for millions of beneficiaries.

According to Kharge, around 5.56 crore Ujjwala beneficiaries are unable to regularly refill their cylinders and are being forced to return to traditional cooking methods.

"Women are being compelled to go back to smoke-filled chulhas while the government sheds crocodile tears over their plight," he said.

Subsidy revised amid rising global prices

The Congress attack comes days after the price of a 14.2-kg domestic LPG cylinder in Delhi was increased from Rs 913 to Rs 942.

Under the revised structure, PMUY beneficiaries continue to receive a subsidy of Rs 300 per cylinder, but only on the first four refills each year. The subsidy was earlier available on nine annual refills.

The latest increase follows a Rs 60 hike announced in March, taking the cumulative increase in domestic LPG prices to Rs 89 per cylinder this year.

The government has defended the move, citing a sharp rise in international LPG prices following disruptions caused by the conflict in West Asia.

According to official estimates, the cost of supplying a domestic LPG cylinder has risen to over Rs 1,600, while state-run oil marketing companies were reportedly incurring substantial losses on each cylinder sold before the latest price revision.

The government has also maintained that cooking gas prices in India remain among the lowest globally despite recent increases.