Srinagar, Sep 24: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has approved a scheme under which Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families will receive the cost of six domestic LPG refills annually, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Satish Sharma informed the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
The announcement evoked an uproar in the House, with BJP legislators accusing the government of scaling down its electoral commitments. Opposition members raised slogans of “jhooti sarkaar” and “yeh dhokha hai”, prompting repeated intervention by Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather.
Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma questioned the government over the scope of the scheme, saying the National Conference had promised 12 free LPG cylinders during the 2024 Assembly elections. He alleged that limiting the benefit to six refills and confining it to AAY households amounted to a departure from that commitment.
Sharma also raised the issues of the government’s promises concerning one lakh jobs and 200 units of free electricity. His remarks led to protests from treasury-bench members, resulting in a heated exchange between the two sides before the Speaker sought to restore order.
The scheme was announced by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as part of the 2026-27 Budget. It is intended specifically for AAY households, with the cost of eligible refills to be reimbursed through Aadhaar-enabled Direct Benefit Transfer.
The government had earlier told the Assembly that 8,79,112 beneficiaries were covered under AAY in Jammu and Kashmir as of January 1, 2025. Of these, 2,74,695 were in Jammu Division and 6,04,417 in Kashmir Division. The government had also indicated that the implementation modalities and financial implications of the LPG initiative were being worked out.
The controversy centres partly on the difference between the 2024 election commitment and the scheme now approved. The National Conference manifesto had promised 12 LPG cylinders annually for economically weaker sections, along with 200 units of free electricity and a package aimed at creating one lakh jobs.
The electricity commitment has also been linked to a separate initiative. In February this year, approval was given for a project aimed at providing 200 units of free electricity to 2.23 lakh AAY families through rooftop solar installations under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana’s Utility Led Aggregation model.
