Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Sep 6: Nearly four and a half years after the BJP promised in its election manifesto to provide three free LPG cylinders annually to every household, the Goa government on Saturday launched the **Goa Ujjwala Yojana**, under which eligible beneficiaries will receive the cost of three LPG cylinders during the financial year.

All panchayats across Goa will remain open from 10 am to 5 pm on Sunday to receive duly filled application forms for the scheme.

The government has set September 9 as the deadline for transferring Rs 3,000 to beneficiaries. No income ceiling has been fixed to avail the scheme.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant warned that action would be taken against anyone found to have obtained the benefit by furnishing false information, and the amount would be recovered from them.

“We have fulfilled the promise given to the people of the state,” Sawant said, urging women to apply for the scheme.

The scheme was launched by Sawant along with Union Minister of State Shripad Naik.

Existing beneficiaries of the Griha Aadhaar scheme and female beneficiaries of the DSSS are also eligible to apply.

Sawant said the scheme was earlier restricted to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, with around 9,000 families benefiting from it.

Under the earlier arrangement, the government used to transfer Rs 300 per LPG cylinder directly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts.