The Maharashtra government has launched the Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana (MAY) in an effort to lighten the financial load of households and gather votes in advance of state elections. This program will give away three free cooking gas cylinders each year to qualified women. These include women registered under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), a federal initiative aimed at BPL families, as well as those who are beneficiaries of the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana (MMLBY) scheme in the state. It is planned that, through this scheme, the latter would reach out to major population segments as it currently has over one crore applications.
Meanwhile, for each gas cylinder supplied through PMUY, there is already a central government subsidy of ₹300 available. Furthermore, MAY would provide an extra ₹530 per cylinder, making a total subsidy of ₹830. To this effect, each cylinder will cost oil companies an additional ₹530, which would be covered back by the state government, totaling ₹1,590 per beneficiary. On MMLBY grounds, however, the women’s entire subsidy for every such cylinder would be taken care of by the Maharashtra government, unlike the central government subvention, amounting to ₹1,590 each time since offered at that level.
The government will establish a six-member committee in each district to determine the eligibility of the scheme. An official said, “A lot of families, especially those with limited access to finances, strain to buy gas every month, let alone more than once. They end up cooking with wood fuel, and that is hazardous for them. We want to make life easier and better for women by providing free gas cylinders.”
This is a huge investment from the state government, costing over ₹2,000 crore in MAY as per estimates. Critics argue that this is merely populist politics aimed at getting votes, while the government says it is a necessary measure towards improving the lives of women and promoting clean cooking fuel. As the state gears up for elections, the impact of this scheme on voter turnout and the overall political landscape remains to be seen. However, there is no doubt that the MAY will provide immediate relief to countless households in Maharashtra.
