Congress on reducing the number of subsidized Ujjwala refills

File photo of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. | Photo credit: The Hindu

The Congress on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) hit out at the government over its reduction in the number of subsidized LPG gas cylinder refills under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, saying it was only shedding “crocodile tears” over the plight of women when it is “drunk with power”.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the reality of the Modi government’s poverty alleviation campaign is that first the right to work was taken away from the poor under MGNREGA and now even a morsel of food is being taken away.

“2016: Modi-ji claimed that Ujjwala Yojana will free women from smoke from wood stoves. There was a promise of 12 subsidized pressure cylinders per year. But last year the number was reduced from 12 to 9. 2026: Now the number of subsidized pressure cylinders has been reduced from only 2 to 2. 4,” Mr. Kharge said in his post in Hindi.

The Congress President said that LPG prices have been increased repeatedly and 5.56 lakh beneficiaries cannot afford to refuel.

“Mothers and nurses are forced to abandon pressure bottles, they are forced to return to traditional stoves… while the Modi government – which sheds crocodile tears over their plight – is intoxicated with power!” said Mr. Kharge.

His remarks come days after the price of a 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinder was hiked to ₹942 from ₹913 in Delhi, while beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) refills will continue to pay an effective ₹642 per cylinder after receiving an annual subsidy of ₹0 for the first top-up of ₹90 per ₹3 fill announced last year.

This hike follows a hike of ₹60 per cylinder on March 7, taking the cumulative increase to ₹89 per 14.2 kg cylinder. The state-run oil marketing companies are estimated to be losing about ₹703 on every LPG cylinder sold before the latest revision.

Indian households continue to pay among the lowest cooking gas prices globally, the government said, despite a sharp rise in international PG prices triggered by blackouts in West Asia.

In a statement, the government said the cost of supplying a domestic LPG cylinder has risen to more than ₹1,600 following a sharp rise in international prices that followed the outbreak of war in West Asia in late February.

Published – 09 Jun 2026 13:14 IST