The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved two free LPG cylinder refills for beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana during the 2026-27 financial year, with the state government expected to incur an expenditure of Rs. 21.43 bn. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on Friday.

The refills will be provided in two phases. The first phase will run from October to December 2026, while the second will be implemented between January and March 2027. The benefit will be available to Ujjwala beneficiaries whose bank accounts are linked to Aadhaar and whose Aadhaar authentication has been completed.

The initiative follows similar arrangements in previous financial years, when beneficiaries received free cylinder refills around Holi and Diwali. The state government said the scheme is intended to promote the use of clean cooking fuel and reduce the harmful effects of smoke on the health of women and children, as well as on the environment.

The Cabinet also approved the operation of 1,725 air-conditioned electric buses across 18 cities under the gross cost contract (GCC) model. Private operators will be responsible for procuring, operating and maintaining the buses, which will serve Agra, Aligarh, Ayodhya, Bareilly, Firozabad, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mathura-Vrindavan, Meerut, Moradabad, Prayagraj, Shahjahanpur, Saharanpur, Varanasi and Noida, including Jewar.

Lucknow and Kanpur will receive 300 buses each under the allocation, while Varanasi will receive 250 and Gorakhpur 150. Agra, Ghaziabad, Meerut and Noida, including Jewar, will receive 100 buses each. The approvals cover both household fuel support and expanded public transport services across the state.