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New Delhi, Oct 6 (IANS) Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday said that the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Scheme is not just about LPG connections, but about empowering women and improving the quality of life for families.

On the first day of Navratri, the government announced a major milestone under the scheme, providing 25 lakh new LPG connections to households across India.

“Ujjwala is more than LPG -- it is freedom from smoke, dignity for women, and comfort for families under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s people-centric leadership,” Puri wrote on social media platform X.

With 25 lakh new LPG connections, the total reach of the scheme has expanded to around 10.60 crore homes, offering millions of families cleaner cooking fuel and a safer, healthier kitchen environment.

“This Navratri, Ujjwala Yojana brings a special gift -- 25 lakh new LPG connections. With this, the reach of Ujjwala will now brighten 10.60 crore homes across Bharat,” the minister stated.

“90 per cent refills now booked online with safety checks on every delivery,” Puri stated.

Puri highlighted India’s remarkable growth in the LPG sector over the past 11 years.

“Before 2014, only 14 crore households had LPG connections; today, that number has more than doubled to over 33 crore,” Puri said.

He added the government’s efforts have also strengthened the natural gas pipeline network from 14,000 km to over 22,500 km, positioning India as one of the fastest-growing refining hubs globally.

Earlier this year, the minister pointed out that while schemes like Ujjwala provide clean fuel, initiatives by companies such as Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) are helping extend urban amenities to rural areas.

IGL has connected over 1 lakh rural households with PNG, expanded CNG infrastructure, and set up a smart gas meter manufacturing facility to produce one million meters annually.

--IANS

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