A political row has erupted in Tamil Nadu over the state government’s newly announced free LPG cylinder scheme, with the BJP accusing Chief Minister Joseph Vijay’s government of scaling back a key election promise.
The controversy centres on the Annapoorani Super Six scheme, announced by the Tamil Nadu government on Monday. Under the programme, eligible families will receive three free LPG cylinders a year, with the benefit scheduled to begin from Pongal 2027.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
The state government has estimated that implementing the scheme will cost the exchequer around Rs 4,000 crore annually.
However, Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy criticised the announcement, arguing that it falls short of the commitment made during the election campaign. According to the BJP, the original promise was to provide six free cooking gas cylinders every year to all households.
Thirupathy questioned why the government had reduced both the number of cylinders and the number of families eligible for the benefit.
The newly announced scheme reportedly limits eligibility to families with an annual income below Rs 2.5 lakh. This income ceiling has become another major point of contention, with the BJP arguing that the restriction means a large section of households that were covered by the original promise may now be excluded.
The opposition has therefore framed the announcement as a dilution of the electoral commitment rather than the fulfilment of the promise.
The government, meanwhile, has positioned the LPG initiative as part of its wider welfare agenda. The scheme is expected to provide financial relief to eligible families by reducing their annual household cooking-fuel expenses.
The dispute comes at a time when welfare guarantees and their implementation remain politically sensitive issues in Tamil Nadu. Free or subsidised cooking gas has become an important component of election campaigns across India, particularly because fluctuations in household fuel costs directly affect family budgets.
The BJP’s criticism is likely to keep the focus on the gap between election promises and the final design of welfare schemes. The key questions now concern the number of beneficiaries, the income ceiling and why the announced benefit is limited to three cylinders rather than the six cylinders cited by the opposition as the original commitment.
With the scheme set to take effect from Pongal 2027, further political debate is expected over its eligibility criteria, fiscal implications and implementation.
For the Vijay government, the challenge will be to demonstrate that the Annapoorani Super Six scheme delivers meaningful assistance to the intended beneficiaries. For the BJP, the issue offers an opportunity to question whether the government has fully honoured its electoral commitments.
The LPG controversy is therefore likely to remain a significant political talking point in Tamil Nadu as both sides debate the scope and credibility of the welfare promise.
