After 1500, Maharashtra Govt Likely To Give 3 Free Cylinders In A Year To Ladki BahinÂ
Maharashtra: Free Annual Refills Of Three Gas Cylinders Under Chief Minister's Annapurna Scheme
In a significant move ahead of the upcoming state elections, the Maharashtra government has decided to extend the scope of the MukhyaMantri Annapurna Scheme. This expansion will now include beneficiaries of the ‘Chief Minister My Dear Sister’ scheme alongside those of the Ujjwala scheme. Both groups will receive three free gas cylinders per year.
Finance Minister Ajit Pawar announced the Annapurna Scheme, which will provide three free gas cylinders annually to eligible families. This scheme will benefit 52,16,412 families who are also beneficiaries of the Central Government’s Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.
The Food and Civil Supplies Department has started preparing to implement this scheme and issue the government order. Under the Ujjwala Scheme, the central government provides a subsidy of 300 rupees per gas cylinder, while the market price of one cylinder is approximately 830 rupees. The proposal to provide a subsidy of 530 rupees per cylinder for three cylinders was presented to the Cabinet. However, the state government chose to implement this scheme independently, rather than as part of the central Ujjwala scheme, to ensure local benefits.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde supported the inclusion of both Ujjwala and ‘My Dear Sister’ beneficiaries for this free cylinder benefit. The Planning and Finance Departments, however, raised concerns about the financial burden of such schemes. Disagreements within the government over who should benefit from the scheme caused delays, and the official government order for the Annapurna Scheme has not yet been issued.
