Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced in the State Legislative Assembly on Monday that three free liquefied petroleum gas cylinders will be provided annually to eligible female heads of households under the ‘Annapoorani Super 6’ scheme. Scheduled to roll out starting with the Pongal festival in January, the initiative carries an estimated annual budgetary outlay of 4,000 crore rupees and aims to benefit over 13 million families across the state through a direct benefit transfer mechanism.
The subsidy will target households with an annual income not exceeding 2.5 lakh rupees, economically weaker sections, small and marginal farmers, and families of differently-abled individuals. Under the payment model, the cost of cooking gas will be reimbursed directly into the bank accounts of female household heads following official delivery and billing confirmations from oil marketing companies. The policy is designed to mitigate the financial burden imposed by global energy market volatility and fuel price increases that have affected domestic household budgets in recent months.
Alongside the cooking gas subsidy, the Chief Minister expanded the state’s public mobility benefits through the ‘Vetri Payanam’ scheme, which provides free bus transit for women and transgender commuters. Starting October 2 on Gandhi Jayanti, eligible passengers can travel without fares on Express, Limited Stop Service, and Deluxe government buses in metropolitan and urban centres, as well as ordinary fare services across rural and hilly regions. The transport expansion, which operates without income ceilings or trip limits, represents an annual state exchequer commitment of approximately 6,000 crore rupees.
