Women to get 3 free cylinders a year under 'Mukhyamantri Annapurna' scheme

The Mahayuti government has taken an important decision to increase the scope of the Chief Minister's Annapurna Yojana in the wake of the upcoming assembly elections. Accordingly, along with the beneficiaries of the Ujjwala scheme, the beneficiaries of the 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin' scheme will also be given three gas cylinders free of cost per year. The high-ranking sources in the Ministry informed that the Food and Civil Supplies Department has also started preparations for the implementation of this scheme by issuing a government decision soon.

Finance Minister Ajit Pawar had announced the Chief Minister's Annapurna Yojana, which will provide three gas cylinders free per year to eligible families. He had also announced to provide the benefit of this scheme to 52 lakh 16 thousand 412 beneficiary families of the central government's Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. According to this, the Food and Civil Supplies Department had submitted a proposal in this regard to the Cabinet.

The central government gives a subsidy of INR 300 per gas cylinder to the beneficiaries of the Ujjwala scheme, while a proposal was presented before the cabinet to give a subsidy of INR 530 per cylinder to each beneficiary, taking the average market price of a gas cylinder as INR 830. If the Centre's plan is implemented, it will not benefit the Mahayuti government. Therefore, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde presented the role of implementing this as an independent scheme of the state before the cabinet.

Like the beneficiaries of the Ujjwala Yojana, Shinde insisted on providing three gas cylinders free of charge to the beneficiaries of the Chief Minister's former beloved sister scheme. However, the Department of Planning and Finance took the stand that the implementation of such schemes would have a huge impact on the financial burden on the government. Some senior ministers also tried to raise the same issue. Due to a difference of opinion in the government over who should benefit from this scheme, even though the implementation of the schemes announced in the budget had started, the government decision on the Annapurna scheme could not be taken.

A burden of 4 cr-4.5 cr on the government?

• While implementing this scheme, gas cylinder supply companies will be paid three free cylinders and Aadhaar will be linked to each beneficiary. Sources in the Food and Civil Supplies Department claimed that those taking advantage of the scheme will have to be reined in.
  
  
• The Chief Minister, both Deputy Chief Ministers and some senior ministers have finally decided to expand the scope of this scheme after consultation.
  
  
• It has been decided to include the beneficiaries of Majhi Ladaki Baheen Yojana also in this scheme. Currently, 3 crore 49 lakh households have domestic gas cylinder connections in the state.
  
  
• Out of this, the state government will give an INR 300 crore subsidy to 52 lakh 16 thousand 412 beneficiary families of the Ujjwala Yojana, for which INR 830 crore will be spent annually.
  
  
• While providing the benefit of this scheme to the families of Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, no matter how many women are registered in a ration card in a family, one free cylinder will be given per month.
  
  
• Benefit will be available only if gas connection is in name of a woman beneficiary. Due to these conditions, although the government intends to give the benefit of Ladaki Bahin Yojana to approximately two and a half crore women, it is being expressed that the benefit of free gas cylinders will be given to approximately one and a half crore families.