Telangana Govt Announces Guidelines for Rs. 500 Gas Cylinder Scheme

Hyderabad: The Telangana government has announced that under the Mahalakshmi Scheme, a Rs. 500 gas cylinder initiative will exclusively consider households with white ration cards as eligible. This means that the gas subsidy will apply only to women holding white ration cards. The government has clarified that among those who applied for the gas subsidy in Praja Palana, only women with white ration cards will be provided a cylinder for Rs. 500. A government order (GO) to this effect was released by the Telangana government on Tuesday, which also outlined the guidelines of the Mahalakshmi Scheme.

Official sources reported that out of the total 1.20 crore gas connections in the state, families possessing white ration cards number around 89.99 lakhs. The government's goal is to support impoverished families and protect women from the health hazards of smoke in kitchens. Furthermore, the government will reimburse the subsidy amount to the respective companies monthly, which in turn will transfer the subsidy to the beneficiaries' accounts.

According to the GO, having a white ration card is mandatory to avail of the gas subsidy. The subsidy will apply only to gas connections registered in women's names. The decision on the annual subsidy allocation for cylinders will be based on the average consumption over three years. Beneficiaries must initially pay the full price of the cylinder, and the subsidy amount will be credited to their bank accounts within 48 hours.