Delhi Govt Distributes Free LPG Cylinders As Diwali Gift To Over 15 Lakh Ration Cardholder Families

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday provided financial assistance for LPG cylinders to more than 15 lakh eligible ration cardholder families at an event held at Talkatora Stadium. 

The Chief Minister pressed a button to transfer the assistance directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Symbolic cheques were also presented to beneficiaries, an official said in a release. 

On the occasion, CM Rekha Gupta said the Delhi Government was committed to fulfilling its stated commitments and ensuring that the benefits of welfare schemes reached people directly. The scheme to provide financial assistance to ration cardholder families during Holi and Diwali was part of this commitment.

The government aims to extend financial support to families during festivals and ease the burden of household expenses. Transferring the assistance directly into bank accounts makes the process simpler and more transparent, ensuring that the support reaches beneficiaries.

The government had planned to provide financial assistance to ration cardholder families towards LPG cylinders on the occasions of Holi and Diwali. Taking this commitment forward, a total of ₹141.88 crore was transferred through DBT to the bank accounts of 15,45,994 families across Delhi this Diwali.

The beneficiaries included 1,24,964 families under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) and 14,21,030 families in the non-PMUY category. Each family under PMUY received financial assistance of ₹642, while families in the non-PMUY category received ₹942 each. The initiative aims to provide financial support to families during the two major festivals of the year and reduce the burden of household expenses.

The Delhi Government has adopted the Direct Benefit Transfer mechanism to disburse financial assistance under the scheme. Through this mechanism, the amount is transferred directly to the bank account of the head of the family linked to their Aadhaar number.

"For the successful implementation of the scheme, beneficiaries are identified, ration card details are verified, and the required data is matched to ensure that assistance reaches the families identified as eligible. Monitoring and audit mechanisms have also been put in place to maintain transparency and prevent duplicate payments, misuse of funds or any irregularities," the release added.

CM Rekha Gupta said Diwali was not just a festival of lights and celebrations, but also an occasion to share happiness and support one another. She said the government’s initiative was an important step towards providing financial assistance to Delhi’s ration cardholder families during festivals and adding to their happiness.

The event was attended by Member of Parliament Bansuri Swaraj, Cabinet Minister Sardar Manjinder Singh Sirsa, MLAs Abhay Verma, Jitendra Mahajan, Kuldeep Solanki and Chandan Chaudhary, among other dignitaries.