Coronavirus relief package: India to give free LPG cylinders to eight crore citizens for next three months

NEW DELHI: The government will give for free three LPG cylinders to eight crore beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana between April and June, a move that will cost the exchequer as estimated Rs 13,000.

The dole was announced as part of the government’s Rs 1.7 lakh crore relief package aimed at mitigating the economic impact of the lockdown imposed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. According to latest health ministry data, India has a total of 649 Covid-19 cases while 13 others have succumbed to the disease.

Welcoming the coronavirus relief package, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the move was an example of responsive governance in challenging times. "The measures announced today will mitigate the economic impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on the rural and urban poor, farmers, health workers, migrant workers, divyangs, senior citizens and other vulnerable sections of the society,” he said in the statement.

Pradhan said that measures such as cash transfer, insurance cover, ensuring food security and the decision to provide free LPG cylinders for three months to all the beneficiaries of Ujjwala scheme will give relief to millions of poor and ensure that no one in the country goes hungry.

"We are in this together, we will fight this invisible enemy and emerge victorious. Our Government is taking all necessary measures to minimise any negative impact on our economy and society," he said.

The government has given out over eight crore free cooking gas connections to poor women, particularly in the rural areas, since the launch of the Ujjwala scheme in 2016.