Over 3.4 lakh PMUJ beneficiaries in Karnataka took no LPG refill in 2025-26
Data presented in the Rajya Sabha reveals that hundreds of thousands of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries in India did not purchase a single LPG refill in the 2025-26 fiscal year. While national average consumption has risen, significant disparities persist across states, raising concerns about the affordability of clean cooking fuel.
Why it matters
It questions the long-term efficacy and accessibility of government welfare schemes aimed at transitioning low-income households to clean energy.
Around 3.4 lakh beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) in Karnataka continue to go an entire year without purchasing even a single LPG refill, according to data provided by the Union government at the Rajya Sabha in response to a question raised by Rajya Sabha member Mansoor Ali Khan.
In fact, the number of beneficiaries with who took no refill increased from 1.64 lakh in 2021-22 to 3.4 lakh in 2025-26. In Karnataka, as many as 2.98 lakh PMUY beneficiaries took just one refill, while 3.33 lakh beneficiaries took two refills and 32.66 lakh took three or more refills in 2025-26.
As per the data from the Union government, the situation in some other States is much worse. Over 21 lakh Ujjwala beneficiaries in West Bengal and 20 lakh in Uttar Pradesh took no LPG refill in 2025–26.
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