The cabinet signed off on a winter fuel cushion late Thursday, after finance officials trimmed an earlier draft that would have covered every household. The final note limits help to families already on the ration list and to districts that recorded the sharpest temperature drop last year.
Ministers described the measure as a bridge, not a new permanent scheme. Payments are due to land in the same account used for existing transfers, which the department says will avoid a fresh enrolment drive. District collectors have been asked to publish ward-wise lists before the first credit.
What happens next
Opposition benches called the cap too narrow. A senior member said households just above the ration line still feel the cylinder price, especially where winter work is irregular. The government replied that a wider net would have delayed the first payment past the coldest weeks.
Officials will review the take-up after six weeks. If credits fail in a district, the file says the collector must switch those households to a counter payment at the ration shop rather than wait for a second electronic attempt.
Taj Today will update this report if the official numbers or the timetable change. Related coverage stays on the Politics page.
