The Indian government has reduced the number of subsidized cooking gas cylinders for 105 million poor households under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) from nine to four, a top petroleum ministry officer said.
The reduction comes as state-run oil companies are still losing ₹700 on every 14.2 kg LPG refill, ₹6 per litre on petrol, and ₹30 a litre on diesel.
Despite the price hike, all cooking gas customers are still getting LPG refills cheaper by ₹700 per cylinder compared to market rates.
The PMUY beneficiaries, around 105 million poor households, get a ₹300 per cylinder subsidy up to four refills in a year.
The government's efforts have seen a jump in consumption of domestic LPG, with average per capita consumption improving to about 4.47 in 2024-25.
Experts said the reduction in number of subsidized cylinders from nine to four is to check the ballooning fuel subsidy bill despite two rounds of price hikes.
