Tamil Nadu Announces Three Free LPG Cylinders and Wider Free Bus Travel for Women

Chennai, August 24, 2026; Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday announced a major expansion of the state’s welfare measures, including three free LPG cylinders every year for eligible women-headed households and broader free bus travel for women and transgender persons.

Under the newly introduced ‘Annapoorani Super 6’ scheme, eligible families will receive the cost of three LPG cylinders annually through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The initiative is scheduled to begin from the Pongal festival in January and is expected to cover more than 1.30 crore families.

The scheme will primarily target households with an annual income of up to Rs 2.5 lakh, along with economically weaker families, small and marginal farmers and households with differently-abled members. The cylinder reimbursement will be transferred to the bank accounts of female heads after booking and delivery, based on billing records from oil marketing companies.

The government has earmarked around Rs 4,000 crore annually for the LPG assistance programme. The Chief Minister said the measure is intended to ease the financial pressure on households amid higher cooking gas costs and disruptions in global energy supplies.

The state government also announced the ‘Vetri Payanam’ scheme, under which women and transgender commuters will be able to travel free on a wider range of government-operated buses from October 2.

The expanded facility will cover Express, Limited Stop Service and Deluxe buses in metropolitan and urban areas. Free travel will also be available on ordinary-fare buses operating on mofussil and hilly routes, extending the benefit to inter-district commuters.

According to the government, the expanded transport programme will involve an estimated annual expenditure of around Rs 6,000 crore. There will be no income ceiling or restriction on the number of journeys under the scheme.

The Chief Minister said the initiatives are part of the government’s broader welfare and women’s empowerment agenda, with several other programmes aimed at improving women’s safety, livelihoods, social security and economic independence.