Gruha Jyothi, Rs 500 gas cylinder schemes likely from February 27

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has asked officials to make preparations for the implementation of the Gruha Jyothi and cooking gas cylinder at Rs 500 schemes. Tentatively, the Chief Minister has decided to start these two schemes on February 27 or 29. The Chief Minister has issued clear instructions to ensure that all those who applied during the Praja Palana programme were beneficiaries of the two schemes.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka held a review meeting with the Cabinet sub-committee at the Secretariat on Thursday. Ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy, D Sridhar Babu, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and chief advisor to the Chief Minister Vemnarender Reddy participated in this meeting to discuss the arrangements being made for implementation of the two schemes and procedures to be followed in the execution of the two guarantees.

The Chief Minister enquired the State finance and civil supplies department officials about the challenges and hurdles to be faced and the possibilities in disbursing the gas subsidy benefit either directly into the accounts of the beneficiaries or to the gas agency. The Chief Minister emphasized that a user-friendly mechanism should be adopted wherein the beneficiary should get the cylinder by paying Rs 500 only and asked the officials to hold talks with the gas distribution agencies.

Revanth said that arrangements should be made to pay the subsidy amount immediately on behalf of the Government to the agencies.

The Chief Minister directed officials of the energy department to implement the Gruha Jyothi scheme in a transparent manner. He gave instructions to the authorities to extend the scheme to all those who possessed a white ration card and consume below 200 units per month for domestic needs only.

The energy department was asked to issue ‘zero’ electricity bills to all the eligible beneficiaries of the Gruha jyothi scheme from the first week of March.

Revanth Reddy suggested that the officials should give an opportunity to the applicants to rectify any errors like wrong card numbers and power connection numbers mentioned in the applications submitted during Praja Palana. The electricity bill collection centers and service centers would undertake the correction of the wrong details in the applications.

Revanth asked the energy officials to carry out a mass campaign through flexies so that all the people were made aware of the scheme implementation in every village. The Gruha jyothi scheme benefit would be provided to all the eligible people who have corrected the mistakes from next month.

The Chief Minister also instructed to open regular counters at MPDO and Tahsildar offices to receive applications continuously from those who did not apply in the Praja Palana programme.