LPG cylinders at Rs 500 to BPL families: Gehlot

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday announced providing LPG cylinders at Rs 500 to the families in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category.

Gehlot said this while addressing a gathering during the Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY) -- which reached Rajasthan's Alwar district on Monday, in the presence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who is leading the BJY.

"People coming under BPL and Ujjwala scheme in Rajasthan will get LPG cylinder for Rs 500 from April 1. Domestic cooking gas cylinders worth Rs 1,050 will be given to the people in this category for Rs 500," he said.

He also termed Ujjawal Yojana 'BJP's drama' saying that "the tanks are lying vacant".

"The rate of these LPG cylinders have gone up from Rs 400 to 1,040. On BPL and poor, we will conduct a study and in one year, 12 cylinders will be available at Rs 500 each which is now available at Rs 1,040. This is the promise I want to make with you. This will be a memory from Rahul Gandhi's BJY," the veteran Congress leader said.

Further addressing the gathering, Gehlot said: "In our budget to be presented next year, we will bring a plan to distribute kitchen kits to reduce the burden of inflation for poor and BPL as flour, daal, rice etc., have become dearer.

"We will take steps to reduce the threat of inflation on poor families," he added.

Meanwhile, Rajendra Rathore, deputy leader of the opposition in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, said in a tweet that "fearing his slipping support base and public anger in the state, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot made the announcement of giving LPG cylinders for Rs 500 from April 1 in front of Yuvraj Rahul Gandhi, but this announcement will also prove to be fake like the promises made to youth regarding employment and loan waiver promises made for farmers".