Congress ready to deliver two promises: Gruha Jyothi, Rs 500 gas cylinder schemes to start by Feb 29

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy ordered state officials to immediately prepare for the implementation of the Gruha Jyothi scheme – 200 units of free current for all households in Telangana State – and for providing cooking gas cylinder at Rs 500 under the Mahalakshmi scheme.

CM Revanth said that the State Government has decided to launch the two guarantees on February 27 or 29. The chief minister ordered the officials to extend the benefits of the Rs 500 gas cylinder scheme to all eligible applicants who attended the Praja Palana programme. CM Revanth Reddy and deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka held a review with the Cabinet sub-committee at the Telangana Secretariat on Thursday.

Gas agencies to get the subsidy amount

The State Government has already implemented two of the six guarantees: free bus travel for women in TSRTC buses under the Mahalakshmi scheme and enhanced the Aarogyasri scheme limit to Rs 10 lakhs from Rs 5 lakhs.

Now, the Cabinet sub-committee, chaired by the CM, discussed in detail the arrangements being made for the implementation of the new two schemes and procedures to be followed in the execution of the two guarantees.

The chief minister discussed with the State Finance and Civil Supplies department officials the challenges and hurdles to be faced and the possibilities in disbursing the gas subsidy benefit either directly into the accounts of the beneficiaries or to the gas agency.

CM Revanth emphasised a user-friendly mechanism should be adopted where the beneficiary should get the cylinder by paying Rs 500 only and asked the officials to hold talks with the gas distribution agencies. CM Revanth said that arrangements should be made to pay the subsidy amount immediately to the agencies.

‘Zero’ power bill for White Ration card

The chief minister directed the officials of the Energy Department to implement the Gruha Jyothi scheme transparently without any scope for doubts and misconceptions. The CM gave clear instructions to the authorities to extend the scheme to all those who possessed a White Ration card and consume below 200 units per month for domestic needs only.

The Energy Department has been asked to issue zero electricity bills to all the eligible beneficiaries of the Gruha Jyothi scheme from the first week of March.

CM Revanth Reddy suggested that the officials should allow the applicants to rectify any errors like wrong card numbers and power connection numbers mentioned in the applications submitted during the Praja Palana programme. This will help the applicants, who got rejected, to avail the scheme. The electricity bill collection centres and service centres will undertake the correction of the wrong details in the applications.

Applications at MPDO and Tahsildar offices

The CM asked the Energy department officials to carry out a mass campaign through flexies so that all the people are aware of the scheme implementation in every village. The Gruha Jyothi scheme benefit will be provided to all the eligible people who have corrected the mistakes from next month.

The Chief Minister also instructed to open regular counters at MPDO and Tahsildar offices to receive applications continuously from those who did not apply for the Praja Palana programme.

Ministers N Uttam Kumar Reddy, D Sridhar Babu, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and chief advisor to chief minister Vemnarender Reddy participated in the meeting. State Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari, Finance special chief secretary K Ramakrishna Rao, Civil Supplies commissioner DS Chauhan, Transco and Genco CMD Rizvi, CM principal secretary Sheshadri and other high officials participated in the meeting.

Revisiting Congress’ six guarantees

Now that the Congress has implemented two guarantees and is poised to implement two more, here is a brief overview of the six promises made by the Congress party before the Telangana State Assembly elections in December 2023.

The six guarantees announced by the Congress party are:

1. Mahalakshmi scheme for women

- Women will receive Rs 2,500 every month

- Gas cylinders at Rs 500

- and free travel in RTC buses

2. Rythu Bharosa scheme for farmers

- Rs 15,000 every year for farmers and tenant farmers

- Rs 12,000 for agricultural labour

- Rs 500 bonus for paddy crop

3. Gruha Jyothi scheme for electricity

- 200 units of free electricity for all households

4. Indiramma Indlu scheme for housing

- House site and Rs 5 lakhs for people without own house

- 250 sq yards plot for all Telangana movement fighters

5. Yuva Vikasam for youth

- Vidya Bharosa Card worth Rs 5 lakh for students

- Telangana International Schools in every mandal

6. Cheyutha scheme for health

- Rs 4,000 monthly pension

- Rs 10 lakhs Rajiv Arogyasri insurance