On Women's Day, PM Modi announces Rs 100 discount on LPG cylinder prices
PM Narendra Modi said the step would "empower" women and aid in environmental protection. A day before, the Centre announced an extension on the Ujjwala scheme subsidy as well
 "On Women's Day, PM Modi announces Rs 100 discount on LPG cylinder prices")
On the occasion of International Women's Day on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a discount of Rs 100 on the prices of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders, a clean cooking fuel, to "make the life of women easier."
The PM made the announcement in a post on social media platform ‘X’(formerly Twitter). "Today, on Women's Day, our Government has decided to reduce LPG cylinder prices by Rs. 100. This will significantly ease the financial burden on millions of households across the country, especially benefiting our Nari Shakti. By making cooking gas more affordable, we also aim to support the well-being of families and ensure a healthier environment. This is in line with our commitment to empowering women and ensuring ‘Ease of Living’ for them," he said.
The step will also boost efforts towards environmental protection and consequently improve the health of families, he noted.
In a separate post, he also extended greetings to women and lauded their courage. "Greetings on International Women's Day! We salute the strength, courage, and resilience of our Nari Shakti and laud their accomplishments across various fields. Our government is committed to empowering women through initiatives in education, entrepreneurship, agriculture, technology and more. This is also reflected in our accomplishments in the last decade," the PM said.
In a separate post, he also extended greetings to women and lauded their courage. "Greetings on International Women's Day! We salute the strength, courage, and resilience of our Nari Shakti and laud their accomplishments across various fields. Our government is committed to empowering women through initiatives in education, entrepreneurship, agriculture, technology and more. This is also reflected in our accomplishments in the last decade," the PM said.
Centre extends subsidy on Ujjwala Yojana
The development followed a day after the Centre announced the extension of Rs 300 per LPG cylinder subsidy to poor women under the Ujjwala scheme starting April 1.
Prior to this, the Modi government had increased the subsidy on the scheme by Rs 100 to Rs 300 in October last year. The scheme is applicable on 14.2-kg cylinders for up to 12 refills per year.
What is Ujjwala Yojana?
Launched in 2016, 'Ujjwala Yojana' is aimed at benefiting the women of poor households by providing them deposit-free LPG connections.
In a press conference on Thursday, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has decided to extend this subsidy for the upcoming financial year 2024-2025 (FY25).
The Centre expects the move to benefit about 100 million families, which will cost the government Rs 12,000 crore.
Notably, the decision comes merely months ahead of the impending Lok Sabha elections, to be scheduled likely in April-May. The upliftment of women, farmers, youth and the poor is one of the key poll planks of the Modi government this election as it eyes a third consecutive term.