Jaipur: With the transfer of a subsidy of ₹60 crores to the 14 lakh beneficiaries, Rajasthan has become the first state where the Ujjwala cylinder is priced at ₹500 now. The subsidy will be given to gas connection holders of BPL families as well. Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot transferred the subsidy amount to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries during a state-level Labharthi Utsav in Jaipur on Monday.
Addressing the beneficiaries, Gehlot said, "BJP stops our schemes, but we have promoted the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana by making cylinders cheaper."
Emphasising the implementation of social security schemes through legislation, Gehlot stated that this is not an election-centric scheme, as their focus is always on providing social security to the people, similar to what happens in foreign countries. Gehlot added, "We want the Government of India to pass a law. Whether it is 2,000 or 3,000, people should get a pension worth living." He further mentioned that the next manifesto of the Congress party will be created keeping in mind the needs of widows, SC-ST communities, and the poor.
The subsidised gas cylinder is part of Gehlot's inflation relief package announced in the budget speech. According to government data, there are approximately 76 lakh Ujjwala and BPL beneficiaries in the state, with 14 lakh registering themselves in the inflation relief camps organized by the Gehlot government. Registration in the camp is mandatory to avail the benefits of the scheme. This scheme is expected to impose a financial burden of about ₹750 crore on the government every year, which may increase if the prices of gas cylinders rise.
Earlier this month, Gehlot announced the implementation of the free electricity up to 100 units scheme, which will benefit around 1.24 crore families.
