Tamil Nadu CM Vijay announces 3 free LPG cylinders, expansion of free travel scheme

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay said on Monday that his government would provide three free cooking-gas cylinders every year to eligible women-headed households and expanded the scheme offering free bus travel for women.

Making the announcement in the Assembly, Vijay said the 'Annapoorani Super Six' Scheme would benefit about 1.30 crore families and cost the state exchequer approximately Rs 4,000 crore annually. The scheme, which had been announced by his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party ahead of the state election, is scheduled to take effect during Pongal in January 2027.

The announcement adds another large welfare programme aimed at women to a series unveiled by the four-month-old TVK government. Vijay began his speech by referring to the Singappen Special Rapid Action Force Scheme, Thai Maaman Gold Ring Scheme, Vetri Women’s Goat-Rearing Scheme and Annan Seer Scheme, saying funds had been allocated and implementation was under way.

He said the government had also prepared its Vetri Vision Plan, setting targets for programmes to be implemented over its first, third and fifth years in office, with several of them focused on women. Vijay linked the latest measure to the shortage and rising cost of cooking gas, which he said had followed the continuing conflict in the Gulf region.

அன்னபூரணி சூப்பர் சிக்ஸ் திட்டத்தில் ஆண்டிற்கு மூன்று விலையில்லா எரிவாயு சிலிண்டர்கள் மாண்புமிகு தமிழ்நாடு முதலமைச்சர் திரு.ச.ஜோசப் விஜய் அவர்கள் சட்டமன்றப் பேரவையில் விதி 110-இன் கீழ் அறிவிப்பு#CMJosephVijay‌ pic.twitter.com/yv9n10Ynwp — CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) August 24, 2026 “For the past four months, owing to the war situation prevailing in the Gulf region, there has been a shortage in the availability of cooking-gas cylinders,” he said.

“As a result, because people have been using alternative fuels and because of the increase in the price of gas cylinders, the public have been forced to spend additional amounts from their income and are facing hardship.” The Chief Minister acknowledged the state’s fiscal constraints but said his government had decided to proceed with the election commitment.

“Taking this into consideration, even amid a situation of financial constraint, in order to reduce the financial burden on the public, protect their welfare and fulfil the promise made to the people, the government has decided to provide them the amount being spent on cooking-gas cylinders,” Vijay said.

“Therefore, for the benefit of women heads of households, in the first phase, three free cooking-gas cylinders a year will be provided under the Annapoorani Super Six Scheme.” Unlike a system in which cylinders themselves are distributed by the government, beneficiaries will book and receive LPG cylinders through the existing distribution network.

The government will then obtain the transaction details from oil companies and reimburse the cylinder price directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts. According to Vijay, eligibility will cover “economically disadvantaged families with an annual income not exceeding Rs 2.5 lakh, small and marginal farming families, transgender families, and other vulnerable families in society.” “Through this scheme, approximately 1 crore 30 lakh 16 thousand 104 families will benefit,” he said.

Preparatory work had already begun, Vijay told the House, and the programme would be launched with Pongal. “I wish to inform this House, through the Honourable Speaker, that approximately Rs 4,000 crore will be allocated every year for this scheme,” he said.

The free-cylinder promise was among the prominent household welfare commitments Vijay presented when TVK released its election manifesto in April. Vijay also announced a sweeping expansion of free bus travel for women, extending the benefit to several categories of government buses that had so far remained outside the programme and removing restrictions on both income and the number of journeys.