Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will launch two new schemes of the Telangana government on February 27.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announced on Friday that Priyanka Gandhi will formally launch the schemes to provide 200 units of free electricity per month and cooking gas cylinder for Rs 500 for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.
These schemes will fulfil the poll promises made by the Congress as part of its six guarantees.
The Chief Minister was talking to mediapersons at Medaram in Mulugu district after paying obeisance to deities ‘Samakka’ and ‘Saralamma’ during an ongoing tribal fair in the area.
The announcement came two days after Revanth Reddy announced in his Assembly constituency Kodangal that the two schemes would be launched within a week.
Revanth Reddy also said that 6,000 employees will be recruited on March 2, adding that the state government will soon make an announcement on waiver of farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh.
Earlier, the Chief Minister issued orders to the officials to make necessary preparations immediately for the implementation of the Gruha Jyothi (200 units free power) and LPG cylinder for Rs 500 schemes.
Revanth Reddy directed the officials to ensure that all those who have applied during the Praja Palana programme gets to avail the benefits of the two guarantees.
The Chief Minister also inquired from the 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 emphasised that a user-friendly mechanism should be adopted where the beneficiary should get the cylinder by paying Rs 500 only, as he asked the officials to hold talks with the gas distribution agencies.
The Chief Minister also said that arrangements should be made to pay the subsidy amount immediately on behalf of the state government to the agencies.
He also directed the officials of the energy department to implement the Gruha Jyothi scheme in a transparent manner without a scope of doubt or misconception.
The CM gave clear instructions to the authorities concerned to extend the scheme to all those who possessed a white ration card and consume below 200 units of power per month for domestic needs only.
The energy department has been asked to issue ‘Zero’ electricity bills to all the eligible beneficiaries of the Gruha Jyothi scheme from the first week of March.
Revanth Reddy also suggested that the officials should give an opportunity to the applicants to rectify any error like wrong card numbers and power connection numbers mentioned in the applications submitted during the Praja Palana.
This will help the applicants, who got rejected, avail the scheme. The electricity bill collection centres and service centres will undertake the correction of the wrong details in the applications, he said.