Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has announced a major package of welfare measures aimed at reducing household expenses and making public transport more accessible to women and transgender people.
The announcements were made in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday and include three free cooking gas cylinders every year for eligible families, an expansion of the existing free bus travel scheme for women and the decision to drop the proposed Parandur greenfield airport project.
Under the new Annapoorani Super Six scheme, eligible families will receive financial assistance covering the cost of three LPG cylinders every year. The programme is expected to benefit around 1.3 crore families across the state. Families with an annual income of up to Rs 2.5 lakh will be eligible, with the government estimating an annual expenditure of about Rs 4,000 crore.
The LPG scheme is expected to begin during the Pongal period in January 2027. The assistance is expected to be provided through direct transfers to the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries rather than by physically delivering cylinders to households.
The announcement is expected to provide relief to families facing higher household expenses. Cooking gas is a regular expense for millions of households, particularly those with limited incomes. By covering the cost of three cylinders each year, the government hopes to reduce some of the financial pressure faced by these families.
Vijay also announced a major expansion of the state's free bus travel programme for women. The Vettri Payanam Thittam will be expanded from October 2, allowing women to travel free on a wider range of government operated buses.
The expanded programme will include express and deluxe buses as well as other eligible services operating within cities and between districts. The benefit will also extend to transgender passengers.
Under the expanded arrangement, women will not face an income ceiling or a limit on the number of trips they can make. The move is expected to particularly benefit women who depend on public transport for work, education, healthcare, shopping and other daily responsibilities.
The government expects the expansion of the free travel programme to involve an additional annual expenditure of around Rs 6,000 crore. Along with the LPG programme, the announcements represent a significant increase in welfare spending by the state.
For many women, the expansion could make a noticeable difference to their monthly household budgets. Regular bus fares can account for a considerable share of income for people who travel frequently, especially workers and students. Removing fares from more categories of buses could encourage more women to use public transport for longer journeys.
In another major decision, the Tamil Nadu government has announced that it will drop the proposed Parandur greenfield airport project. The airport had been planned as a major second airport for Chennai, but the project faced strong opposition from farmers and residents concerned about land acquisition and the possible impact on agricultural land.
The government now plans to look for another suitable location for the proposed airport. The decision means the state will continue to pursue the need for additional airport capacity while reconsidering the location of the project.
The government has also announced plans for a new Terminal 5 at the existing Chennai airport as part of efforts to increase passenger handling capacity.
The Parandur decision has already created debate over the future of Chennai's aviation infrastructure. Supporters of the move say it responds to the concerns of farmers and local residents, while critics have raised questions about the economic consequences of delaying or changing a major airport project.
The latest announcements come as the Vijay government moves to implement several of its major welfare commitments. The new measures focus on three areas that directly affect people's daily lives: household cooking costs, transportation and land related concerns.
The government will now face the challenge of putting the schemes into operation smoothly while managing the large financial commitments involved. For beneficiaries, however, the announcements could bring significant changes to everyday expenses, particularly for low income families and women who rely heavily on public transport.
With the LPG programme expected to begin in January and the expanded bus scheme scheduled for October, the coming months will show how quickly these promises are translated into benefits for people across Tamil Nadu.