Uttar Pradesh Free Gas Cylinder Scheme (Free LPG Refill for Ujjwala Beneficiaries)

What is the Uttar Pradesh Free Gas Cylinder Scheme?

Uttar Pradesh Free Gas Cylinder Scheme is a state top-up on the central Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. Where the central scheme pays for the LPG connection itself, the state scheme addresses the problem that appeared afterwards: a large number of Ujjwala households took the free connection but could not afford to refill the cylinder at market price, and quietly went back to firewood and dung cakes.

The scheme is administered by the Food and Civil Supplies Department (Khadya evam Rasad Vibhag) of the Government of Uttar Pradesh, working with the oil marketing companies: Indian Oil, HP Gas and Bharat Gas, that hold the distributor network. The department's portal is fcs.up.gov.in.

The mechanism is a reimbursement, not a free handout at the delivery point. The beneficiary books a refill and pays the normal price to the distributor, and the refill amount is credited back to the bank account linked to the connection through direct benefit transfer. This is the same plumbing the central LPG subsidy runs on, which is why the seeding of Aadhaar and bank details matters so much in practice.

What does the scheme give, and what does Ujjwala itself give?

It helps to keep the two layers apart, because households often confuse them.

The central layer; Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. According to the PMUY portal, the central government gives cash assistance of Rs 2,050 for a 14.2 kg connection and Rs 1,300 for a 5 kg connection. That assistance covers the cylinder security deposit, the pressure regulator, the LPG hose, the consumer card and the installation charge. PMUY beneficiaries are also given the first refill and a stove (hotplate) both free of cost along with the connection.

The state layer. The Uttar Pradesh free refill. On top of that, Uttar Pradesh credits back the cost of a 14.2 kg domestic refill for Ujjwala connection holders in the state, for the number of refills the Food and Civil Supplies Department notifies for that period. The number of covered refills in a year has been revised since the benefit was introduced, so this guide does not state a fixed figure, the current notification on fcs.up.gov.in, or your LPG distributor, is the reliable source.

Who is eligible for the Uttar Pradesh free gas cylinder?

You are covered if:

• You hold a Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana connection registered in Uttar Pradesh.
• The connection is in the name of an adult woman of the household, which is how all PMUY connections are issued.
• Your Aadhaar is seeded with the LPG connection at your distributor.
• Your bank account is active and Aadhaar-linked, so the direct benefit transfer can land.
• You book the refill through the normal channel. The distributor, the oil company's app, IVRS or WhatsApp booking — during the notified period.

You are not eligible if:

• You hold an ordinary domestic LPG connection that is not an Ujjwala connection. A ration card by itself does not create eligibility.
• Your connection is registered outside Uttar Pradesh.
• The connection is a commercial LPG connection, which is outside the domestic subsidy framework entirely.
• Your household holds more than one connection and the additional one is a duplicate, which oil companies de-duplicate against Aadhaar.

The central eligibility conditions that created the Ujjwala connection still frame the benefit. PMUY requires that the applicant be female and at least 18 years old, and that no other LPG connection existed in the household at the time of application, with a deprivation declaration from the household.

What do I need to keep in order?

There is no document to submit for this scheme in the way a normal application requires. What these documents do is keep the seeding chain intact: connection to Aadhaar, Aadhaar to bank account. Break any link in that chain and the credit fails silently, which is exactly what happens in most complaints.

How to make sure you receive the Uttar Pradesh free refill

1. Confirm your connection is a PMUY connection. Check the consumer card or ask your distributor. Ordinary domestic connections do not attract the state refill benefit.
2. Get your Aadhaar seeded with the LPG connection. Visit your LPG distributor with your Aadhaar card and consumer card and ask them to verify and complete the seeding.
3. Link your bank account to Aadhaar at your bank branch, and confirm the account is active. Dormant accounts are a frequent cause of failed transfers.
4. Book the refill through the normal channel. The distributor, the oil company's mobile app, the IVRS number or WhatsApp booking, and pay the price charged at delivery.
5. Keep the delivery receipt and note the booking reference.
6. Check the bank credit after delivery. Oil companies also send an SMS to the registered mobile number when a transfer is made.
7. If nothing is credited, take the receipt back to the distributor and ask them to check the seeding status and the transfer record on their system.

How do I check whether the amount has been credited?

Three checks, in order of usefulness:

• Your bank passbook or account statement, which is the only definitive record of a direct benefit transfer.
• The SMS on your registered mobile number, sent by the oil marketing company on transfer.
• Your LPG distributor's system, which shows both the seeding status and the subsidy transfer history for your consumer number. Oil company consumer portals and apps show the same history if you have a login.

Why does the credit fail?

• Aadhaar not seeded with the LPG connection. The single most common cause.
• Bank account not Aadhaar-linked, so the direct benefit transfer has no destination.
• Account closed or dormant, which the household often does not realise.
• Name mismatch between the LPG records and the bank account.
• The connection is not an Ujjwala connection, so the state benefit never applied.
• Refill booked outside the notified period for which the benefit was announced.

Every one of these except the last two is fixable at the distributor and the bank branch in a single visit each. Take the consumer card, Aadhaar and passbook to both.

Where do I complain?

• Uttar Pradesh Food and Civil Supplies helpline: 1967 or 14445. These are the numbers the department publishes on fcs.up.gov.in, and the same helpline handles ration and food supply complaints.
• National Ujjwala helpline: 14438, or 1800-266-6696, for connection and refill issues on the PMUY side.
• Your LPG distributor first, for anything to do with seeding, booking or delivery: most problems are resolved there.
• jansunwai.up.nic.in, the state's integrated grievance portal, for a written complaint with a tracking number and a time-bound reply. Select the Food and Civil Supplies Department.

Key points to remember

• The scheme reimburses a 14.2 kg LPG refill for Ujjwala connection holders in Uttar Pradesh. You pay first and are credited back.
• There is no separate application; the benefit follows the existing connection.
• Aadhaar seeding of both the connection and the bank account is what decides whether you actually receive the money.
• The central Ujjwala connection assistance is Rs 2,050 for 14.2 kg and includes a free first refill and stove.
• The number of refills covered in a year is notified by the Food and Civil Supplies Department, confirm the current figure on fcs.up.gov.in or with your distributor rather than relying on an older announcement.