The Congress government in Telangana will launch two more guarantees, including supplying LPG cylinders for domestic use at a subsidised rate of Rs 500 and free electricity up to 200 units for domestic use by the end of this month.

With the Lok Sabha election drawing close the Congress government in the state is under tremendous pressure from the Opposition over the six poll guarantees it promised before Assembly elections in the state.

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According to a press statement from the chief minister’s office, it has tentatively decided to implement the two schemes either on 27 February or 29 February. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy held a meeting with the Cabinet sub-committee overlooking the implementation of the six guarantees.

He directed officials to hold meetings with the gas distribution agencies and come up with a user-friendly mechanism so that those who are eligible for the scheme get the gas cylinder by simply paying Rs 500. The government will then immediately reimburse the distribution agencies. Only those who submitted applications for enrolment through the Praja Palana drive will be eligible for the scheme.

In the case of Gruha Jyothi, the scheme provides free electricity to white ration card holders who consume less than 200 units. However, BRS leaders demanded that the Gruha Jyothi scheme should be extended to all households in the state and not just to white ration card holders.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao gave a call to the people to stop paying electric bills a month ago to force the state government to fulfil its promises of free electricity.

The government has so far fulfilled two promises including increasing the cap on the health scheme as well as introducing free travel in state-run buses for women. It still has to introduce monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500 to women.

Another huge expenditure for the cash strapped government will include paying input subsidies to farmers and tenant farmers that the chief minister has promised will be released in March. However, the new government ensured timely payment of salaries to government employees on the first day of the month.