The interim Budget presented by acting finance minister Piyush Goyal did not include any big announcements on the energy sector and was more about taking stock of the progress made in the space so far under the current NDA government.

The government said that more than 6 crore free cooking gas connections have been provided under the 'Ujjwala Yojana' scheme which is aimed at providing LPG to poor households. Goyal added that with such progress made in providing clean cooking fuel, the current government was well on track to meet its target under the Ujjwala scheme of providing 8 crore free LPG connections by 2021.

Under the Ujjwala scheme, the government provides a subsidy of Rs 1,600 to state-owned fuel retailers for every free LPG gas connection that they give to poor households. This subsidy is intended to cover the security fee for the cylinder and the fitting charges.

Goyal also claimed the government has distributed 143 crore LED bulbs to promote energy saving. The country’s solar power generation installed capacity has grown ten times in the past 5 years, leading to creation of additional jobs, he said.

Goyal also laid emphasis on the need for increased use of electric vehicles and new age energy solutions. “India will lead the world in transport revolution through use of electric vehicles and energy storage solutions. This will help in cut down costly imports of oil, enhance energy security and lead to savings of foreign exchange,” he said.

The interim finance minister also emphasised that the government will meet its target of universal household electrification by the end of March 2019.