Women To Receive Free Gas Cylinders Under This Scheme—Find Out More

In a bid to provide relief ahead of the assembly elections, the Mumbai government announced a budget plan in June that included distributing three free gas cylinders to 52 lakh families. As reported by Priyanka Kakodkar, this initiative has now been extended to benefit women under the Chief Minister Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, which targets underprivileged women.

Official sources have indicated that this expansion will increase the number of beneficiaries to approximately 1.5 crore, raising the government's expenditure from Rs 860 crore to Rs 3,200 crore annually. The Chief Minister Annapurna Yojana, which initially aimed at beneficiaries of the Center's Ujjwala Yojana providing a Rs 300 subsidy per cylinder, will now see an additional state subsidy of Rs 500 to cover the full cylinder cost. The Ladki Bahan Yojana will offer a monthly stipend of Rs 1,500 to underprivileged women aged 21-65 years.

Under the Ladki Behan scheme , one beneficiary per household can receive three free gas cylinders annually through the Annapurna scheme , with the requirement that the cylinder be registered in the woman's name. This initiative targets those eligible for the Ujjwala scheme, which gives a Rs 300 subsidy per cylinder, while the state adds a Rs 500 subsidy to meet the full cost.

Following a disappointing outcome in the recent Lok Sabha elections, where the Shinde government secured only 17 of 48 seats, they allocated Rs 96,000 crore in the assembly pre-poll budget. This has resulted in an estimated debt burden of Rs 7.8 lakh crore for the upcoming year. By expanding this scheme, the Mahayuti government is focusing on securing support from women voters before the October polls. The Ladki Behen scheme, expected to cost Rs 46,000 crore annually, mirrors the Madhya Pradesh government's Ladli Behen scheme, which aided the BJP's return to power.

In just two weeks, the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Behen Yojana received 44 lakh online applications. While the scheme promises Rs 1,500 monthly to underprivileged women, challenges such as form-filling fees and app reliability persist. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has pledged to crack down on those exploiting applicants for money under this scheme, emphasizing free registration and a seamless application process for eligible women.