Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will distribute free LPG cylinders to eligible families on Tuesday. The subsidy amount for this will be transferred directly into the beneficiaries' bank accounts via 'Direct Benefit Transfer' (DBT). Food and Supplies Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa will also be present at the event. On X (formerly Twitter), Delhi CM Rekha Gupta wrote, "This Diwali, another gift is being added to the joy of the mothers, sisters, and families of Delhi."
Free LPG cylinders will be provided to over 1.5 million (15 lakh) ration card-holding families from Talkatora Stadium. For this purpose, approximately ₹142 crore will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. The objective of this initiative is to reduce household expenses, increase savings for mothers and sisters, and ensure that every family's Diwali is brightened with joy. It should be noted that this benefit, offered on the occasion of Diwali, is available to permanent residents of Delhi who hold a valid, active ration card (issued in the name of the head of the family).
**'AAP' targeted over pollution and stubble burning issues**
Prior to this, spokespersons for the ruling BJP criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for politicizing the issues of stubble burning in Punjab and the deteriorating air quality in North India. Delhi BJP spokespersons Anil Gupta and Praveen Shankar Kapoor stated that there was no unusual spike in air pollution in Delhi on the morning following Diwali, which makes it clear that firecrackers cannot be held responsible for the rise in air pollution in the national capital.
Kapoor remarked that the manner in which the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress are blaming firecrackers for the rising air pollution constitutes a direct attack on the religious sentiments and faith of Hindus, who traditionally celebrate Diwali by bursting firecrackers. A Delhi BJP spokesperson stated that, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)—and despite various administrative restrictions—the Air Quality Index (AQI) on the morning after Diwali stood at 358 on November 13, 2023, and 341 on November 1, 2024, during the tenure of the Arvind Kejriwal-led government.
This year, even though restrictions on firecrackers were significantly relaxed, the AQI reached 368; on the morning of Diwali (November 8), it was 364. This clearly indicates that there was no abnormal spike in the AQI attributable to firecrackers. Kapoor questioned where the crores of rupees—provided annually by the central government to the Punjab government to tackle the issue of stubble burning—are actually going.
Kapil Mishra alleged that AAP leaders are orchestrating the burning of stubble in Punjab’s fields. He stated, "Today, Delhi’s Kapil Mishra has revealed how individuals associated with the AAP are, as part of a conspiracy, causing fires in the fields of Punjab. The AAP has been in power in Punjab since 2022, yet they have failed to take any concrete steps to curb stubble burning."
Delhi BJP spokespersons asserted that a comparison of the AQI data from 2023 and 2024 with current figures makes it clear that the toxic air resulting from stubble burning in Punjab is suffocating Delhi, and that this year’s situation is the result of a conspiracy by the AAP.
PC Social Media
