Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay on Monday announced a major welfare measure under which eligible families will receive the cost of three LPG cylinders every year. The announcement was made in the state Assembly as Vijay unveiled a fresh set of welfare initiatives aimed at providing financial relief to households.
The new initiative, named the ‘Annapoorani Super Six’ scheme, will be implemented from Pongal 2027. According to the announcement, families with an annual income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh will be eligible for the benefit. The scheme is expected to cover approximately 1.30 crore families across Tamil Nadu.
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Under the scheme, beneficiaries will not receive LPG cylinders free of charge at the point of purchase. Instead, the government will directly transfer the cost of three LPG cylinders into the bank accounts of eligible families. This direct-benefit mechanism is intended to ensure that households receive financial assistance while purchasing cooking gas.
The state government estimates that the scheme will require around Rs 4,000 crore annually from the state exchequer. The initiative is expected to provide recurring financial support to low-income households, particularly at a time when cooking gas prices have become a significant component of monthly household expenditure.
Explaining the need for the measure, Vijay referred to the prevailing war situation in the Gulf region and its impact on the availability and prices of cooking gas. He said shortages of LPG cylinders, along with rising prices, had increased the financial pressure on families.
The announcement comes as governments increasingly use direct financial assistance and welfare schemes to cushion households from rising living costs. For low-income families, LPG expenses can represent a substantial recurring cost, making assistance with cooking fuel an important component of household welfare.
The proposed scheme is scheduled to begin during Pongal 2027, one of Tamil Nadu’s most significant festivals. By linking the launch to Pongal, the government is positioning the initiative as a welfare measure intended to provide financial relief to families during the festive period.
The scheme is also expected to have a wide reach because of its income-based eligibility criterion. With an estimated 1.30 crore families set to benefit, the programme could become one of the major welfare initiatives announced by the Vijay government.
The announcement was part of a wider set of measures unveiled in the Assembly. The government’s focus on welfare has placed household expenses, access to essential services and support for vulnerable sections at the centre of its policy announcements.
The direct transfer of LPG costs will also mean that eligible beneficiaries can purchase cylinders through the existing distribution system while receiving government support separately. This could help simplify the delivery of the benefit and reduce the need for a separate distribution mechanism.
With implementation scheduled for 2027, further details regarding the identification of beneficiaries, registration process and the exact amount to be transferred for each cylinder are expected to be announced by the state government.
For millions of households, however, the key feature of the announcement remains the promise of financial support for three LPG cylinders every year. If implemented as announced, the ‘Annapoorani Super Six’ scheme will represent a significant expansion of welfare assistance for low-income families in Tamil Nadu.
