Free LPG cylinders, gas stoves given to poor families

NEW DELHI: Around one lakh poor families have been given free LPG cylinders and gas stoves under an ambitious scheme launched by the Delhi Government to end use of kerosene which often does not reach the intended beneficiaries.

"More than one lakh people have been provided LPG connection with cylinder and gas stoves so far under the Kerosene Free Delhi Scheme," Food and Supplies Minister Harun Yusuf told reporters.

The scheme was launched in August last year. The expenditure on each beneficiary comes to around Rs 3,249.

All BPL, AAY and JRC beneficiaries are being covered under the scheme which was aimed at making Delhi the first kerosene-free city in the country.

In months to come, government plans to cover all the 3.56 lakh beneficiaries under the scheme.

"The Government is making efforts to exhort the remaining kerosene users to quickly come forward to register themselves under the scheme so that the objective of making Delhi a kerosene-free city is achieved in next three months," he said.

Asked about implementation of the Annshree Scheme, Yusuf said a total of 58,789 beneficiaries have been registered under it.

The Annashree scheme was launched in December under which monthly cash subsidy of Rs 600 is being transferred directly into Aadhaar-linked bank account of the senior-most female member of poor families which are not getting subsidised food grains.

Two lakh poor families, which are not getting subsidised food under either BPL scheme or Antyodaya Anna Yojana, have been identified as the beneficiaries of the food programme.

Asked about complaints of food articles not being made available at ration shops, Yusuf said government was examining them seriously.