Govt plans cooking gas subsidy boost

95 million PMUY beneficiaries are likely to get additional relief

- Rituraj Baruah

As India heads into general elections next year, the Union government will likely offer additional relief to cooking gas customers by increasing subsidies under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), two people familiar with the development said.

Currently, PMUY beneficiaries receive a ₹300 per cylinder subsidy for up to 12 cylinders annually, after the latest hike in subsidy announced last month.

"Although the beneficiary base under PMUY has increased, customers under the scheme would require more relief, and further steps may be taken in coming months," one of the people cited above said, requesting anonymity.

The move is being considered to ease inflationary pressures on the common man, said a second person, also declining to be named.

Retail inflation has stayed elevated in recent months. India’s consumer price inflation was above the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) tolerance band of 4-6% for several months before easing to 5.02% in September.

Queries emailed to the spokespeople for the ministries of petroleum and natural gas and finance remained unanswered.