Anil Bhagya Scheme: 27 lakh families to get free LPG cylinders
Bengaluru: Under the scheme of Karnataka government, 27 lakh kitchens are expected to become smoke-free as the needy families in the state will get free LPG cylinders soon.
In the first phase, 10 lakh beneficiaries have already been identified under this scheme. Letters on have also been dispatched to such recipients. In the next stage, remaining eligible beneficiaries will even get LPG cylinders free of cost.
Building and construction laborers will be identified under this scheme jointly by the labor department, social welfare department, and food and civil supplies department. The government has recognized food and civil supplies departments as the nodal agency for implementing this scheme.
The state government will bear the cost of providing LPG connections to the beneficiaries' houses, which comes to Rs. 4,040 per home. This includes a gas stow and a liter.
After utilizing first two cylinders, the beneficiary must pay to book for next cylinder. All beneficiaries have been identified through ration cards. Preference has been given for those covered under 'Antyodaya' scheme and those who are not using LPG cylinders currently.The other condition for the selection is that the families should not have been the beneficiaries of the central government's 'Ujwala' scheme.
For more details about the scheme, additional director of food and civil supplies department, Arundhathi Chandrashekhar, can be contacted on Mobile No. 9448849503.
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Why was Indira Gandhi's 1973 budget called the 'Black Budget'?
New Delhi: The Union Budget for 2025 is set to be presented in Parliament on February 1 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. As the nation awaits the financial roadmap of the third term of Narendra Modi-led government, a look back at the 1973-74 budget reveals one of India's most financially challenging periods.
The 1973-74 budget, presented by then-Finance Minister Yashwantrao Chavan under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, is often referred to as the ‘Black Budget’ due to its unprecedented fiscal deficit of ₹550 crore. This was a significant sum at the time, reflecting the severe economic strain India faced in the aftermath of the 1971 war with Pakistan.
The war had drained government resources, and a series of natural disasters, including drought, led to a sharp decline in agricultural production. This worsened the financial crisis, with declining revenues and rising expenditures. Presenting the budget, Chavan acknowledged the economic distress, stating that the drought had caused a major drop in food grain production, which contributed to the widening deficit.
In response, the government allocated ₹56 crore for the nationalisation of coal mines, insurance companies, and the Indian Copper Corporation. The move aimed to strengthen the energy sector and ensure state control over key industries. However, the large deficit forced the government to implement cost-cutting measures and financial discipline in subsequent years.
As the Modi 3.0 government prepares to unveil the 2025-26 budget, various sectors are putting forth their demands, including tax reliefs and economic stimulus measures. Social media is rife with memes attacking the Finance Minsiter for the tax policies and it's impact on the middle class. The government’s first estimates project a 7.3% GDP growth for 2023-24, shaping expectations for the upcoming budget.
