Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma made an announcement on Wednesday regarding a noteworthy reduction in the prices of gas cylinders provided under the Ujjwala scheme, indicating a decrease to Rs 450 starting from January 1. This comes as a significant adjustment from the previous price of LPG cylinders under the scheme, which stood at Rs 500.
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma emphasized that this reduction in prices is under the electoral promise made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before the recently conducted state elections. The party's manifesto, titled 'sankalp patra,' explicitly pledged a subsidy of Rs 450 per LPG cylinder for beneficiaries of the Ujjwala scheme, along with the commitment to create 2.5 lakh government jobs. It is worth noting that the rival Congress party, in its manifesto, had gone a step further, articulating its intent to lower the price of LPG cylinders under the scheme to Rs 400 if entrusted with power.
Notably, the preceding Congress government, led by Ashok Gehlot, had previously declared in April that families enrolled in the Ujjwala scheme would have access to 12 LPG cylinders annually, each priced at Rs 500. This subsidized rate, benefiting approximately 76 lakh families below the poverty line, was part of the government's initiatives to support economically vulnerable households.
