Huge Response for Free Gas Cylinder Scheme in Andhra Pradesh
The state government’s free gas cylinder scheme, ‘Deepam-2’, launched during the Diwali festival, has received an overwhelming response from the public. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu launched the distribution of free gas cylinders on November 1, and by November 5 (Tuesday), a total of 20,17,110 beneficiaries had booked their cylinders across the state. Out of these, 11,84,900 beneficiaries have already received their cylinders, and the government has deposited ₹18 crore in their accounts as subsidy.
However, the overwhelming number of bookings, with hundreds of thousands daily, has put immense pressure on the gas companies, leading to delays in cylinder deliveries. Though the scheme stipulates that deliveries should be made within 48 hours, many beneficiaries are expressing concerns about delays.
Under the ‘Deepam 2.0’ scheme, which started on October 31, gas cylinders are being provided free of cost to eligible beneficiaries. While the number of eligible people is less than the total number of ration cardholders in the state, the eligibility is determined based on Aadhaar, ration cards, and gas connections. Officials stated that the lower number of eligible beneficiaries is due to incomplete details, such as the absence of Aadhaar cards, which has limited the eligibility.
As of now, there are 1.54 crore domestic gas connections in the state. Preliminary estimates suggest that around 1.08 crore connections qualify for the free cylinder scheme. However, many people with ration cards and gas connections were unable to qualify due to the absence of Aadhaar linkage. Once these individuals link their Aadhaar, the number of eligible beneficiaries for the scheme is expected to increase.
Furthermore, the EKYC process is mandatory for the subsidy, as clarified by fuel dealers, leading to a rush of beneficiaries at gas dealers’ outlets, causing congestion.
