The BJP has criticised the Tamil Nadu government over its newly announced Annapoorani Super Six LPG scheme, alleging that it has reduced an election promise of six free cooking gas cylinders per household to just three cylinders for selected families. BJP leader Thirupathy questioned the government over the change, pointing out that the election manifesto had promised six LPG cylinders every year for all households.
Under the new scheme, announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, eligible families will receive the cost of three LPG cylinders a year directly into their bank accounts. The scheme is scheduled to begin from Pongal 2027. Families with an annual household income of less than ₹2.5 lakh will be eligible, with around 1.30 crore families expected to benefit. The government estimates the scheme will cost around ₹4,000 crore annually.
The government said the measure is intended to reduce the financial burden on families amid rising LPG costs and the impact of the ongoing situation in the Gulf region. The BJP, however, has questioned why the government has reduced both the number of cylinders and the number of eligible beneficiaries compared with the original election promise.
