PM Ujjwala Yojana
Free LPG Connection for Every BPL Home

What Is Ujjwala Yojana — And Why It Was Created

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched on May 1, 2016, by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Its core purpose is to provide free LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) connections to women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) households — replacing toxic solid cooking fuels like wood, coal, and cow dung.

Before Ujjwala, over 70% of rural India cooked on biomass fuels. The smoke from these fires — equivalent to smoking 400 cigarettes per hour — was killing approximately 5 lakh Indians every year from respiratory diseases, primarily women and children who spent the most time near the cooking area. Ujjwala was designed to end this silent health crisis.

The scheme provides a free LPG connection in the name of the adult woman of the household — not the husband or any male member. This was a deliberate policy decision to give women control over a household resource and increase their economic agency.

Ujjwala 1.0 vs Ujjwala 2.0 — What Changed

The original Ujjwala scheme (Phase 1, 2016–2020) targeted BPL families identified through the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data. It set a target of 8 crore connections, which was achieved ahead of schedule in September 2019.

Ujjwala 2.0, launched on August 10, 2021, expanded the scheme significantly. The most important new addition: migrant workers no longer need to submit address proof at their current location. A simple self-declaration of their address is now accepted — a major change that previously excluded millions of construction workers, domestic workers, and seasonal migrants who lacked permanent address documents.

Who Is Eligible for Ujjwala Yojana — Complete Criteria

Eligibility has been expanded significantly since Phase 1. Here is the complete current eligibility list:

Eligible Categories (Any One Is Sufficient)

• SECC 2011 listed households — if your household appeared in the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 data, you automatically qualify
• PM Gramin Awaas Yojana beneficiaries (PMAY-G) — families who received a PMAY rural housing grant
• Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) cardholders — families holding an AAY ration card (the yellow/priority ration card for the poorest of the poor)
• Forest dwellers — most primitive tribal groups and forest-dwelling SC/ST communities
• MGNREGA Job Card holders — if you have an active MGNREGA job card with at least one day of work in the past year
• Tea and ex-tea garden tribal families — in Assam and West Bengal
• River island dwellers — people residing on river islands (char/chapori areas) in Northeast India
• SC/ST households — all Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe households are eligible regardless of SECC listing
• States with poor sanitation as per 14th Finance Commission criteria — households in the poorest districts identified by this benchmark

Basic Conditions (Must Meet ALL)

• The applicant must be an adult woman aged 18 or above — connection is issued in her name only
• The household must not already have an LPG connection in any family member's name
• The woman must have a bank account (even a Jan Dhan zero-balance account works)
• The woman must have an Aadhaar card

Documents Required for Ujjwala Application — 2026 Checklist

Documents for Ujjwala 2.0 are simpler than Phase 1. Here is exactly what you need:

Step-by-Step Application Process — Online and Offline Both

Method 1: Apply Online (Fastest)

1. 1
   Visit mylpg.in or pmuy.gov.inGo to the official PMUY portal at pmuy.gov.in or directly at mylpg.in. Click on "Apply for New Ujjwala 2.0 Connection".
2. 2
   Choose Your LPG CompanySelect from Indane (Indian Oil), HP Gas (HPCL), or Bharat Gas (BPCL) — all three are available and have equal coverage. Choose the one with a distributor nearest to your home.
3. 3
   Fill the KYC FormEnter your Aadhaar number, full name (exactly as on Aadhaar), date of birth, mobile number, and bank account details. Select your BPL category from the dropdown.
4. 4
   Upload DocumentsUpload a photo of your Aadhaar card, bank passbook, ration card, and a recent passport-size photograph. File size should be under 2MB each; JPG or PDF format accepted.
5. 5
   Submit and Note Application IDSubmit the form. You will receive an application reference number via SMS on your Aadhaar-linked or entered mobile number. Note this number — it is needed for tracking.
6. 6
   Distributor Visit for Physical KYCWithin 2–4 weeks, your nearest LPG distributor will contact you for a physical verification visit. They will confirm your address and collect original document copies. After verification, the connection is activated and the cylinder is delivered to your home.

Method 2: Apply at LPG Distributor (Offline)

Visit any nearest Indane, HP Gas, or Bharat Gas distributor in person. Ask for the Ujjwala 2.0 application form (Form KYC5). Fill it with the help of the distributor staff if needed. Submit along with photocopies of your documents. The distributor processes the application at their end — no online access required from your side.

Method 3: Apply at CSC (Common Service Centre)

Visit any Jan Seva Kendra (Common Service Centre) in your area. CSC operators are authorised to fill and submit Ujjwala applications on your behalf. A nominal fee of ₹20–30 may be charged for the service. CSCs are available in most panchayats and urban wards — find your nearest one at locator.csccloud.in.

What You Receive Under Ujjwala — Full Benefits Breakdown

Application Rejected or Cylinder Not Delivered — What to Do

Reason 1: Duplicate Connection Found

If an LPG connection already exists in your household (in any family member's name at your address), your application will be rejected. Solution: Check using the IVRS system — call 1906 (Indane), 1800-233-3555 (HP Gas), or 1800-22-4344 (Bharat Gas) to check connections at your address. If the existing connection belongs to a deceased person or someone who has moved permanently, you can apply for surrender of that connection and then apply fresh under Ujjwala.

Reason 2: Name Mismatch with Aadhaar

If your name on the ration card, bank account, and Aadhaar don't match exactly (even a spelling variation), the application is rejected. Fix the name on whichever document is wrong — ration card corrections can be made at your nearest ration shop or civil supplies office.

Reason 3: Bank Account Not Aadhaar-Linked

The LPG subsidy is transferred via Direct Benefit Transfer, which requires your bank account to be seeded with Aadhaar. Visit your bank branch with your Aadhaar card to link them. This is free and takes 2–3 working days to activate.

Escalation: If Distributor Is Unresponsive

If your application is stuck or the distributor is not responding, escalate by calling the oil company helplines: Indane: 1800-233-3555, HP Gas: 1800-233-3555, Bharat Gas: 1800-22-4344. You can also register a grievance on the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) at pgportal.gov.in.

Frequently Asked Questions — Verified 2026

• Can I apply for Ujjwala Yojana if I don't have a ration card?+
  Yes. Under Ujjwala 2.0, a ration card is not mandatory. If you are an SC/ST household, show your caste certificate. If you are a MGNREGA job card holder, that works as BPL proof. Migrant workers can use a self-declaration of address. The aim is to remove documentation barriers — speak to the distributor and explain your situation.
• Can a widow apply in her own name?+
  Yes. Any adult woman (18+) can apply in her own name. For widows, the existing connection in the deceased husband's name needs to be surrendered first if it was at the same address. The widow can then apply for a fresh Ujjwala connection in her name. Death certificate of husband and own Aadhaar are needed for this process.
• Is the first refill really free under Ujjwala 2.0?+
  Yes. Under Ujjwala 2.0, the first refill is provided free. However, in practice, some distributors ask beneficiaries to pay first and then receive the subsidy credit in their bank account. If the distributor charges you for the first refill and claims the credit will come later, document everything and follow up within 2 weeks. If not credited, call the helpline.
• How many refills can I get per year under Ujjwala?+
  There is no formal annual cap on refills for Ujjwala beneficiaries — you can order refills as needed. However, the subsidised rate (₹200 additional subsidy per cylinder as of 2024) applies to up to 12 cylinders per year. Beyond 12 cylinders per year, you pay the full market price without additional Ujjwala subsidy.
• I got an Ujjwala connection but stopped using it — what happens?+
  There is no penalty for low usage. However, if you haven't ordered a refill for more than 3 years, your connection may be marked as "inactive" in the distributor's records. Reactivate by visiting the distributor with your Aadhaar and consumer number. There is no reactivation fee — the connection remains valid indefinitely.

Related Schemes & Services