Poonam and Shashi are among 32 lakh women eligible for cooking gas subsidies
Two months before Madhya Pradesh voted, former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had promised at an event in Tikamgarh that the women of the state -- he called them "ladli behna" after the scheme by that name -- will get cooking gas cylinders for Rs 450.
There were conditions and eligibility criteria, of course, but the announcement was a big relief for households, especially those with many members. The announcement was also a political move by the BJP veteran, coming right after the Congress's promise to give out cooking gas cylinders for Rs 500 if it came to power.
A month later, women in the state had reason to cheer. They bought a cooking gas cylinder for Rs 910 and received Rs 460 in their bank accounts soon after as subsidy. This meant they paid Rs 450 for the cylinder, in line with the then Chief Minister's promise.
Cut to the last week of 2023. The BJP has returned to power, but Mr Chouhan is not on the hot seat anymore. Mohan Yadav is the new Chief Minister as the BJP veteran waits for a new task. He is not alone. His "ladli behnas" are also waiting, for their subsidies.
More than 32 lakh women in Madhya Pradesh are registered for the cooking gas subsidy. One of them is Shashi Gawde from Bhopal's Bhimnagar neighbourhood. A beneficiary of the popular Ladli Behna scheme, she gets Rs 1,250 in her bank account every month. The cooking gas subsidy, however, has stopped coming, she told NDTV.
"After Shivraj's announcement, we got the cylinder for Rs 910 and a subsidy of Rs 460 came into my account. But we did not receive it after that one time," she said.
Asked how long a cooking gas cylinder lasts for her family, she said there are many members and the cylinder runs out within a month. Not getting the subsidy is a "lot of trouble", she said.
Poonam, a labourer, is worried too. "We are not getting anything now. Maybe they pay later," she said. "Sometimes we don't have money to get a cylinder. We manage by borrowing money. All we earn is spent on our children's education. It's difficult to buy a cylinder for Rs 910."
Providing cooking gas cylinders for Rs 450 to beneficiaries of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government's Ujjwala Yojana and Laadli Behna scheme was part of the BJP's list of promises ahead of the polls.
When Krishna Gaur, a minister in the new government, was asked about the pause in subsidies, she said, "The Chief Minister has already made it clear that our Sankalp Patra is as sacred to as Gita and Ramayana. Whatever promises we have made will be fulfilled."
The complaints of not receiving cooking gas subsidies also play out against the backdrop of the massive debt burden on the state government. Less than two weeks after swearing-in, Chief Minister Yadav sought a loan of Rs 2,000 crore from Reserve Bank of India. The state now has dues of Rs 4 lakh crore and a long list of promises. Chief Minister Yadav, however, has assured in the Assembly that there is no crisis and no welfare scheme will be discontinued due to lack of funds.
The state's newly appointed Congress chief Jitu Patwari questioned the ruling BJP over the delay in payment of cooking gas subsidies. "If there was a 'Modi guarantee' of cylinders for Rs 450, why has it not been fulfilled till now? They promised it will be fulfilled after government is formed. A new cabinet is in place, so we hope this is done soon.
Government sources said they have referred the matter to the finance department and the payments will be made as soon as they receive the funds. They declined to give a deadline for this.