New Delhi, Jan 6: Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday that as many as 10.41 crore LPG connections have already been provided for the supply of subsidised cooking gas to poor families under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana as the government steadily progresses to achieve its target of covering 10.6 crore families under the scheme.

Puri further stated that the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana has succeeded in building a nationwide system that delivers clean cooking fuel reliably with every refill.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ujjwala has transformed clean cooking from a welfare measure into a reliable everyday infrastructure,” the minister said in a post on X.

LPG is being made affordable for the poor through a targeted subsidy of Rs 300 per 14.2 kg cylinder for up to nine refills per year under the PMUY scheme. This intervention has resulted in a steady rise in LPG consumption. The average per capita consumption increased from about three refills in 2019-20 to 4.47 refills in FY 2024-25 and further to a pro-rated level of about 4.85 refills per annum during FY 2025-26, indicating sustained adoption of clean cooking fuel, according to figures compiled by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

To clear pending applications and achieve saturation of LPG access, the government approved the release of 25 lakh additional LPG connections during FY 2025-26. Subsidy targeting and transparency were improved with the acceleration of Aadhaar authentication. As on December 1, 2025, biometric authentication covered 71 per cent of PMUY consumers and 62 per cent of non-PMUY consumers, according to an official statement.

Consumer safety was strengthened through the nationwide Basic Safety Check campaign. More than 12.12 crore free safety inspections were conducted at customer premises, and over 4.65 crore LPG hoses were replaced at discounted rates, significantly enhancing awareness and safety standards in domestic LPG usage, the statement added.

Mumbai: As Mumbai prepares for the long-awaited Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections on January 15, 2026, the city stands at a crossroads. After nearly four years under an appointed administrator, Mumbaikars are demanding accountability for issues that have been exacerbated by rapid urban growth and prolonged bureaucratic control.

Here are the five most pressing civic issues faced by the city’s residents:

Despite a brief reprieve from unseasonal New Year’s rain, Mumbai’s Air Quality Index (AQI) has frequently dipped into ‘unhealthy and severe’ categories this winter. The city sees major pollution each day, with dust from the Metro projects and real-estate redevelopment contributing majorly to PM2.5 levels.

The ‘concretisation’ of Mumbai’s roads remains a primary campaign promise and a primary failure. Commuters continue to face gruelling travel times due to poorly synchronised infrastructure projects and the perennial return of potholes during monsoon months.

While the BMC announced an ambitious overhaul of health infrastructure, the ground reality for many remains bleak. Several civic surveys in the past have highlighted a severe shortage of public toilets, particularly for women, where the ratio is reportedly 1 seat for every 4 available to men currently.

Mumbai continues to grapple with saturated landfills and black spots where garbage piles up. Furthermore, the fear of flooding looms every year as the city’s aging colonial-era drainage system struggles to cope with intensified rainfall patterns.

With thousands of residents living in dilapidated buildings or stalled Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) projects, the ‘right to a home’ has become a central election theme. Rapid redevelopment is straining existing civic lines, water, sewage and electricity, which were never designed for high-rise densities.

The 2026 election is unique because it follows a period where citizens felt ‘voiceless’ without elected corporators. The mandate of 2026 will likely depend on which party can move beyond identity politics and offer a concrete, measurable roadmap for these basic civic needs.

Thane: An inmate at a sub-jail in Maharashtra’s Thane district allegedly manhandled a police officer and destroyed CCTV cameras while questioning his detention and demanding his immediate release, officials said on Tuesday.

The accused claimed he was “unfazed” by legal action because he had faced similar charges in the past, they said.

The Shantinagar police have registered an FIR against the accused, identified as Faiaz Islam Shaikh (25), in connection with the incident which occurred on Sunday in the Bhiwandi sub-jail premises, where he was already lodged for a prior offence.

According to the police, the accused began shouting and hurling abuses at the personnel on duty. He allegedly challenged the authority of the police, questioning his detention and demanding his immediate release.

He further threatened the staff, claiming that a previous charge under Indian Penal Code Section 353 (assault on a public servant) did not bother him, an official from the Shantinagar police station said.

Shaikh allegedly pulled out three CCTV cameras installed near the sub-jail’s gate and smashed them onto the floor. He also broke three light bulbs in the area, the official said.

When a police officer attempted to pacify him and explain the protocol, the accused grabbed his collar and pushed him, he added.

The police have registered a case in this connection against Shaikh under various Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections, including 132 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 324(4) (mischief causing damage to public property), he said.