New Delhi, November 10 (HS): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday disbursed financial assistance to more than 15 lakh eligible ration cardholder families to help them meet the cost of LPG cylinders during Diwali. At an event held at Talkatora Stadium, the Chief Minister pressed a button to transfer the assistance directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism. Symbolic cheques were also presented to beneficiaries on the occasion.

Delhi Food and Supplies Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Member of Parliament Bansuri Swaraj, MLAs Abhay Verma, Jitendra Mahajan, Kuldeep Solanki and Chandan Chaudhary, along with other distinguished guests, attended the programme.

Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the Delhi Government remained committed to fulfilling its announced promises and ensuring that the benefits of public welfare schemes reached people directly. The initiative to provide financial assistance to ration cardholder families on the occasions of Holi and Diwali was part of this commitment. She said transferring the assistance directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts had made the process simpler, more transparent and efficient.

The Chief Minister explained that the government had introduced the scheme to provide financial assistance to ration cardholder families towards LPG cylinders during the two major festivals of Holi and Diwali. Continuing this commitment, the government transferred a total of Rs. 141.88 crore through DBT into the bank accounts of 15,45,994 families in Delhi on the occasion of Diwali this year.

The beneficiaries included 1,24,964 families covered under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) and 14,21,030 families belonging to the non-PMUY category. Each PMUY beneficiary family received Rs. 642, while families under the non-PMUY category were provided Rs. 942 each.

The initiative aims to extend financial support to households during the two major festivals of the year and ease the burden of their domestic expenditure.

Gupta further said the government had adopted the Direct Benefit Transfer mechanism to ensure that the assistance reached beneficiaries directly. Under the arrangement, the amount is credited to the Aadhaar-linked bank account of the head of the household.

She added that the successful implementation of the scheme involved identifying eligible beneficiaries, verifying ration card details and matching the relevant data to ensure that assistance reached only the designated households. Monitoring and auditing mechanisms had also been put in place to maintain transparency and prevent duplicate payments, misuse of funds or irregularities.

The Chief Minister said Diwali was not merely a festival of lights and celebration but also an occasion to share happiness and extend support to one another. She described the initiative as an important step towards providing financial relief to ration cardholder families in Delhi and bringing greater happiness into their lives during the festive season.

Speaking on the occasion, Food and Supplies Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that nearly Rs. 142 crore had been transferred through DBT into the bank accounts of more than 15 lakh eligible ration cardholder families during the programme organised at Talkatora Stadium on the auspicious occasions of Diwali and Bhai Dooj.

He noted that eligible families had also received assistance under the scheme during Holi earlier this year.

“Our objective is not limited to providing financial assistance during festivals. At a time when inflation is putting pressure on household budgets, we also aim to reduce families’ domestic expenditure, enhance the savings of mothers and sisters, and bring financial relief and greater prosperity into their lives,” Sirsa said.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar