According to www.chinimandi.com, a Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) report finds that just 47% of rural LPG users in India receive doorstep delivery — leaving refill cost and last-mile logistics as binding constraints.
Rural Access and Usage Gaps
The CEEW studies reveal that although 73% of rural households used LPG in the previous 90 days, only 23% rely on it exclusively. Half continue using firewood as their primary fuel. Informal purchases — made through local shops, roadside dealers, or unauthorised sellers — fill service voids created by limited awareness and weak delivery infrastructure. Domestic LPG cylinder prices increased with effect from March 7 2026, adding pressure on already strained household budgets.
The report highlights that 79% of migrant LPG users lack a formal connection, and fewer than 4% are enrolled in the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), despite a 2021 policy provision enabling simplified self-declaration for enrolment.
Affordability and Informal Premiums
Affordability emerges as a cross-cutting challenge: at a price of Rs 400 per 14.2 kg cylinder, at least 80% of respondents say they would switch exclusively to LPG. The median willingness to pay stands at Rs 500, well below the current subsidised PMUY rate of Rs 642.
In urban informal settlements, 70% report exclusive LPG use, yet 31% of those without formal connections face rejection due to missing address proofs — prompting 11% to pay Rs 1,040 informally for a cylinder priced at Rs 803 retail. Among migrants living in open spaces, 70% rely solely on solid fuels, while informal users pay Rs 71 per kg — over 20% more than formal rates.
Policy Recommendations and Expert Guidance
Prarthana Borah, Fellow at CEEW, stated:
“Clean air is inseparable from how people cook, work and live. These studies show that providing an LPG connection is only the first step. If families cannot afford regular refills, migrants are not aware of formal connections under PMUY, or cylinders do not reliably reach rural homes, households remain exposed to polluting fuels.” — Prarthana Borah, Fellow at CEEW
Abhishek Kar, Fellow at CEEW and co-author of the studies, emphasized that clean cooking policy must shift “from connection numbers to sustained use.” He noted that for rural households, refill affordability and doorstep delivery matter most; for urban poor households, documentation and payment innovations like micro-payments are needed; and for migrants, additional subsidy and awareness are the missing links. Kar also pointed out that a majority of migrant LPG users buy informally, paying a per-kg premium of more than 20% over general users who can afford a full formal cylinder.
To address systemic gaps, the CEEW studies propose that the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas raise the PMUY subsidy by approximately Rs 200 per cylinder. Additional recommendations include targeted migrant enrolment drives, smart-meter kiosk pilots, and differentiated distributor commissions to expand rural doorstep access.
Source: chinimandi.com
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
