Sustained usage of LPG has resulted in 20% reduction in chest congestion cases in women: Dharmendra Pradhan

NEW DELHi: Sustained use of cleaner cooking gas has helped cut chest congestion in women by a fifth, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said, citing a research report that examined the health benefits of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) under which free gas connections are given away to poor households.

The Modi government’s determined drive to popularize cleaner cooking gas has helped increase access to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to 94% of homes in the country from 56% five years ago. The biggest beneficiaries have been poor households.

“#PMUY has set an example in making women empowered. Sustained usage of LPG has resulted in 20% reduction in chest congestion cases in women,” said Pradhan on microblogging site twitter. The Ujjwala Yojana has so far released 7.3 crore connections to poor households and has a target of 8 crore.


“From deprivation to development, #PMUY has transformed the lives of crores of poor women in our country. Mothers and sisters in UP, West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh & Rajasthan have been the biggest beneficiaries of the smokeless kitchen initiative of #ModiGovt,” he added.


The demand for refill among Ujjwala beneficiaries have been on a rise with nearly 86% of the beneficiary households returning for a second refill, Pradhan said.

A rapid rise in the number of cooking gas customers has also boosted demand for LPG to 26 million metric tonnes in 2018-19 from 18.2 million metric tonnes in 2014-15. This has turned India into the second-largest LPG consumer in the world.