PM Ujjwala Yojana 2026: eligibility, documents, how to apply for a free LPG connection

The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) gives an adult woman (18 years or older) from a poor household a deposit-free LPG connection, with the first refill and a stove free of cost. The household must not already have an LPG connection. You can apply online on pmuy.gov.in or at any LPG distributor, with a KYC form, a deprivation declaration and Aadhaar. This guide explains each step as described on the official PMUY website and in Press Information Bureau releases.

What is PM Ujjwala Yojana and who runs it?

The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. It was launched on 1 May 2016 at Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. Its aim is to make clean cooking fuel such as LPG available to rural and deprived households that were using firewood, coal or cow-dung cakes. The official site says these fuels harm the health of rural women and the environment.

The connections are released by the public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) through their LPG distributors. The PMUY site lists Indane, Bharat Gas and HP Gas. Ujjwala 2.0, launched in August 2021, added more connections and a special facility for migrant households. The scheme is for the whole country, so the same rules apply in every state.

What benefits do you get under PMUY?

A PMUY beneficiary gets a security-deposit-free LPG connection with no installation charges. According to the official FAQs it covers:

• a 14.2 kg or 5 kg cylinder (you may choose a 14.2 kg single cylinder, a 5 kg single cylinder or a 5 kg double cylinder),
• a domestic pressure regulator and a safety hose,
• the Domestic Gas Consumer Card (DGCC) booklet,
• the first refill free and a free two-burner stove.

You do not pay the distributor for any of these. The FAQs add one point: if your state charges a stamp fee, you pay that.

Subsidy on refills. The PMUY pages do not state a refill subsidy. Press Information Bureau (PIB) releases say: for FY 2025-26 the Cabinet approved ₹300 per 14.2 kg cylinder for up to 9 refills a year (pro-rated for 5 kg); a PIB release of 7 June 2026 says ₹300 a cylinder on the first four refills each year, paid by direct benefit transfer. These figures change, so ask your distributor which rule applies now.

Who is eligible for a PMUY connection?

The official application page gives three conditions:

• The applicant must be a woman who has attained 18 years of age.
• She must belong to a poor household, shown by submitting a deprivation declaration in the prescribed format.
• There must be no other LPG connection from any oil marketing company in the same household.

The PMUY “About” page still lists categories of households: SC, ST, PMAY (Gramin), Most Backward Classes, Antyodaya Anna Yojana, tea and ex-tea garden tribes, forest dwellers, island and river-island residents, SECC households, and poor households under a 14-point declaration. A PIB release of 4 December 2025 says the criteria were simplified to “Adult women from poor households based on submission of a Deprivation Declaration”, and the FAQs say there are no separate categories now. The application form still lets you mark General, SC, ST or other. An SC or ST applicant without a caste certificate can still be enrolled if she meets the other conditions.

Who is not eligible?

According to the official FAQs, a PMUY connection cannot be given in these cases:

• Men. Connections are released only in the name of an adult woman of the household. If a household has no adult woman, it cannot get a PMUY connection; a minor girl or a male member cannot apply in her place.
• A deceased woman. A connection cannot be given in the name of a woman who has died, even if her name is still in the ration card.
• A household that already has an LPG connection. The check covers any family member listed in the family composition document.
• A woman who already has a PMUY connection. A second one cannot be issued in her name; the existing connection can be transferred to a new city instead.
• PNG connection holders. The FAQ says they can take only a non-subsidised LPG connection, not a PMUY connection.

A PMUY stove and cylinder are subsidised assets. They cannot be sold or given to anyone else.

What documents do you need?

The official FAQs and application page list these documents:

1. KYC application form with a recent photograph and your signature.
2. Aadhaar copy of the applicant (proof of identity).
3. Aadhaar copies of all adult family members named in the ration card or family document.
4. Proof of address. Aadhaar is enough if the connection is at the Aadhaar address. If the address is different, give one document from the approved list printed in the KYC form.
5. Ration card issued by your state, or a self-signed printout from the state portal where it has family details. If there is no ration card, any central or state government document that certifies family composition.
6. Bank account details with a passbook copy or cancelled cheque, for subsidy transfer.
7. Deprivation declaration, signed by the applicant.
8. Migrants: a self-declaration (Annexure I) for address and family composition.

If an Aadhaar is wrong or inactive, correct it first at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra or on the UIDAI website or mAadhaar app.

How to apply for a new PMUY connection, step by step

You may apply to any distributor of your choice, online or offline.

Online

1. Open the “Apply for New PMUY Connection” page on pmuy.gov.in and choose the portal of Indane, Bharat Gas or HP Gas.
2. Fill in the KYC details, attach the documents and the deprivation declaration, and submit.
3. Self-submission has no fee. If a Common Service Centre (CSC) submits it for you, a charge of ₹20 applies.

Offline

1. Download the KYC form, the declaration and (for migrants) Annexure I from pmuy.gov.in, or collect them at the distributor.
2. Submit the filled form with copies of the documents at the nearest LPG distributor.

After you apply. PIB says applications go through system-driven duplicate checks and a physical verification by OMC officials, then a Subscription Voucher is issued and the connection is installed at your home. A pre-installation inspection is mandatory. You do not pay for the connection, first refill or stove.

What is e-KYC and how do you check your application status?

Biometric Aadhaar authentication (e-KYC) is mandatory for PMUY connections. The FAQs say the LPG distributor carries it out. The PMUY e-KYC page also describes a self method: face-based Aadhaar authentication using the oil company’s mobile app together with the Aadhaar FaceRD app, with help videos in English and Hindi.

PIB (22 September 2025) says applicants whose applications were pending must complete a revised e-KYC and give details in the updated format. The FAQs add that if your KYC was done in 2024 or earlier and a family member has become an adult, your ration card number has changed, or your bank account or mobile number has changed, you must submit the revised KYC form and the other documents again.

Check status. The FAQs say you can get the status of a submitted application from your distributor or by calling the toll-free number 1800 266 6696. The FAQs do not mention an online tracking page.

Common problems and what to do

These answers come from the official PMUY FAQs.

• Subsidy not received. Check with your bank that your Aadhaar is seeded to your active account. You can also check the Aadhaar mapping status on the NPCI website (Consumer tab, Bharat Aadhaar Seeding Enabler); it should show “Enabled for DBT”. If not, submit the Aadhaar seeding form at the bank.
• No ration card or incomplete family list. Give another central or state government document that shows the full family.
• Aadhaar errors. Fix them before applying.
• Moving to another city or state. Give a request letter and identity proof to your distributor to transfer the connection.
• Family split into two. Contact the distributor to remove the members who moved out, using the new ration card, then apply.
• Complaints. Contact your distributor or raise a grievance on the oil company’s website, portal or app.

Helplines on the PMUY site: 14438 (Ujjwala Helpline), 14428 (Toll Free Helpline), 1906 (LPG Emergency Helpline).

Recent changes and dates

Dates below are from the PMUY website and PIB releases.

Date	What happened
1 May 2016	PMUY launched at Ballia, Uttar Pradesh
August 2021	Ujjwala 2.0 launched
8 Aug 2025	Cabinet approved ₹300 subsidy per 14.2 kg cylinder for up to 9 refills a year for FY 2025-26
22 Sep 2025	25 lakh more connections approved for FY 2025-26; simplified KYC form and deprivation declaration; revised e-KYC for pending applications
4 Dec 2025	Lok Sabha reply: eligibility simplified to adult women from poor households with a deprivation declaration
7 Jun 2026	PIB: ₹300 a cylinder on the first four refills each year

The PMUY About page says the overall target is now 10.6 crore connections, with the additional 25 lakh connections being released. Always confirm the latest rules on pmuy.gov.in or with your distributor.