India, Feb. 1 -- The budget for a scheme aimed at providing clean fuel to poor families has been cut. The Union Budget 2026-2027 presented in Parliament by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman includes a nearly 28 per cent reduction in the scheme's budget, compared to last year's revised estimates (RE).

According to the budget document, the actual budget for LPG connections for poor families in 2024-25 was Rs 12,700 crore. This was reduced to Rs 9,100 crore in the 2025-26 budget estimate (BE) but was revised to Rs 12,736 crore. However, the 2026-27 BE presented on February 1, 2026, again reduced it to Rs 9,200 crore, a decrease of approximately 28 per cent from the RE.

The scheme aims to support Below Poverty Line (BPL) families to...