Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo today chaired a review meeting on the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) and assessed the LPG stock availability in the Kashmir Valley for the forthcoming winter months.
The meeting besides Commissioner Secretary, FCS&CA and Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir was attended by Director, FCS&CA, Jammu/Kashmir; and senior officers from Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), who shared district-wise progress, implementation challenges and preparedness under the newly extended phase of PMUY.
The Chief Secretary reviewed the performance under the first phase of PMUY and directed Deputy Commissioners to intensify enrolment of eligible beneficiaries, increase the number of subscription vouchers and conduct vigorous Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaigns to raise awareness about e-KYC and Aadhaar seeding.
He stressed that completion of e-KYC is vital in view of the latest instructions from the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoP&NG), under which targeted subsidies will be processed only after e-KYC is completed. He emphasised that OMCs and district administrations must ensure 100% e-KYC compliance so that beneficiaries do not face delays in receiving their entitled subsidies.
The meeting was informed that under the newly approved extension of PMUY, 25 lakh new LPG connections will be provided nationally during FY 2025–26. The eligibility criteria have been simplified into a single unified category of “adult women from poor households submitting a Deprivation Declaration”, replacing the earlier 14-point declaration.
It was added that OMCs have introduced a revamped Standard Operating Procedure to streamline enrolment, verification and connection release processes. Moreover the budgetary support per connection has been enhanced to ?2,050, while LPG stoves and the first refill will continue to be provided by the OMCs. Aadhaar and ration card–based electronic de-duplication mechanisms have also been strengthened to ensure that households do not receive multiple connections, the meeting was apprised.
Commissioner Secretary, FCS&CA, Saurabh Bhagat informed that District Ujjwala Committees (DUCs) have been established in all districts and are actively monitoring application pendency, beneficiary identification, awareness generation, installation checks and cases of low or no refills.
He stressed the importance of expanding the LPG distribution network, especially in remote and underserved areas, and urged Deputy Commissioners to flag requirements for additional distributors so that gaps may be filled promptly through OMCs.
The Chief Secretary also reviewed the LPG stock position in the Kashmir Valley and was informed that 3,660 MT of LPG is the storage capacity along with an additional 200 MT of “on-wheel” stock from IOC and BPC, ensuring up to seventeen days of assured availability once storage tanks are fully replenished.
To further strengthen winter preparedness, HPCL’s Pampore plant has deployed 212 dedicated tank trucks, while a multi-source supply plan has been activated with consignments dispatched from Bhatinda, Loni/Bahadurgarh, Jammu and Kandla. The projected stock buildup at Pampore is expected to reach 1,400 MT by December 15, 2,500 MT by December 20 and the optimum capacity of 3,000 MT by December 22.
To strengthen last-mile service delivery, the Chief Secretary also called for expansion of the Common Service Centre (CSC) network, particularly in far-flung areas lacking LPG distributors. He was briefed that their MoU with CSCs has been extended till November 2027 and mobile app access for all three OMCs has been enabled for CSC Village Level Entrepreneurs, allowing them to support PMUY enrolments, refill bookings, delivery authentication and grievance redressal.
Reiterating the government’s commitment to ensuring household energy security and timely rollout of the new phase of PMUY, the Chief Secretary urged all departments and OMCs to work in mission mode to achieve 100% e-KYC compliance, improve last-mile service delivery and ensure uninterrupted LPG supply throughout the winter season.