‘Deepam 2’ implementation successful, says Manohar

Minister for Civil Supplies, Nadendla Manohar, announced on Friday that the state government’s “free gas cylinder” scheme is being successfully implemented.
Responding to a question raised by MLCs V. Kalyani and S. Mangamma in the Legislative Council, Manohar informed that over the past 15 days, a total of 35,77,566 beneficiaries have booked gas cylinders under the Deepam-2 scheme. Of these, 25,64,951 gas cylinders have already been delivered to the beneficiaries.
“The government has so far credited Rs 141.18 crore into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries under this free gas cylinder scheme. However, some opposition leaders are spreading false propaganda regarding its implementation,” the Minister remarked.
Despite the state facing significant financial constraints, Manohar reiterated that the Chandrababu Naidu-led government is fully committed to implementing the Deepam-2 scheme, as promised to the people. He recalled that the Chief Minister officially launched the free gas cylinder scheme on October 31, 2024, in Srikakulam district.
The Minister explained that there are 1.55 crore gas connections in the state, and the government has taken steps to link these connections with ration cards in order to deliver free cylinders and credit the corresponding amount into the beneficiaries’ bank accounts. As many as 1.55 crore gas consumers will benefit from the scheme, he added.
The government has allocated Rs 2,684 crore for the implementation of the free gas cylinder scheme under Deepam-2 in the current financial year. Of this, Rs 894 crore is earmarked for the first phase of implementation, the Minister disclosed. He further clarified that only those who hold an LPG connection, a ration card, and an Aadhaar card are eligible for the free gas cylinders under the scheme.
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