Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay unveiled a sweeping set of welfare measures in the state Assembly on Monday, announcing three free LPG cylinders a year for eligible families, a major expansion of free bus travel for women and transgender persons, and confirmation that the long-debated Parandur greenfield airport project has been dropped. The announcements, made under Rule 110 of the Assembly, mark one of the most significant policy rollouts since the Chief Minister’s TVK-led government took office earlier this year.
Together, the new schemes are expected to cost the state exchequer close to Rs 10,000 crore annually, according to figures presented in the Assembly. Officials say the measures fulfil key promises made during the party’s election campaign and are aimed at easing household expenses and improving public transport access across the state.
Annapoorani Super Six Scheme Explained
The centrepiece of Monday’s announcements is the Annapoorani Super Six scheme, which will provide three free LPG cylinders every year to eligible female heads of households. The scheme will roll out from Pongal 2027 and is expected to benefit approximately 1.30 crore families at an estimated annual cost of Rs 4,000 crore.
Eligibility will be limited to households with an annual income of up to Rs 2.5 lakh, along with economically weaker sections, families of small and marginal farmers, and families of persons with disabilities. Rather than distributing cylinders directly, the government will use a Direct Benefit Transfer mechanism. Beneficiaries will first purchase and receive their cylinders through the existing distribution network, after which the corresponding cost will be credited directly to their bank accounts based on official billing data from oil marketing companies.
Notably, this marks a scaled-down version of an earlier campaign pledge. In the run-up to the April Assembly election, Vijay had promised six free LPG cylinders annually to every eligible family. The revised scheme now includes an income eligibility clause and limits the benefit to three cylinders in its first phase.
Why Free LPG Cylinders Now
Explaining the rationale behind the scheme, the Chief Minister pointed to global supply disruptions that have driven up the cost of cooking fuel in recent months. He noted that ongoing conflict in the Gulf region had placed a heavy financial burden on households over the preceding four months, pushing many families towards alternative and often less safe cooking fuels.
“Even in a situation of financial constraint, our government has decided to provide the amount spent on gas cylinders to the public, aiming to reduce their financial burden and protect their welfare,” Vijay told the Assembly while making the announcement.
The statement drew loud desk-thumping from treasury benches, according to reporters present during the session.
Vettri Payanam: Free Bus Travel Expanded
Alongside the LPG announcement, the Chief Minister confirmed a substantial expansion of the state’s existing free bus travel initiative for women, now rebranded as Vettri Payanam. The scheme currently allows women to travel free only on select ordinary government buses, with several categories excluded and some routes restricted.
From October 2, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti, the expanded scheme will extend free travel to Express, Limited Stop Service and Deluxe government buses operating in cities and towns, as well as ordinary buses on suburban and hill routes, including inter-district journeys. Crucially, there will be no income ceiling and no cap on the number of journeys a beneficiary can undertake.
“There will be no riders like income ceiling or number of trips for women to avail fare-free bus travel,” Vijay said while detailing the scheme in the Assembly.
Transgender persons have also been made eligible for free travel under the revised scheme for the first time, a move welcomed by advocacy groups as a step toward more inclusive public transport policy. The expanded bus travel initiative is expected to cost the state government an additional Rs 6,000 crore annually.
Parandur Airport Project Shelved
In a separate but equally significant announcement, the Chief Minister confirmed that the proposed Parandur greenfield airport project, intended to serve as Chennai’s second airport, has been shelved. The project had faced sustained resistance from farmers and local residents unwilling to part with agricultural land, citing concerns over displacement and the impact on water bodies in the region.
Vijay told the Assembly that alternative sites for a future airport have been identified and that officials will conduct surveys before any land acquisition proceeds. In the interim, the government plans to expand the existing Chennai airport at Meenambakkam, including the construction of a fifth terminal, to accommodate rising passenger and flight volumes.
The decision effectively puts an end to years of planning around the Parandur site and is being viewed as a response to grassroots opposition that had grown increasingly vocal in the lead-up to the announcement.
Impact on Tamil Nadu Households
Taken together, the three announcements represent a significant recalibration of the state government’s welfare and infrastructure priorities. For low-income households, the LPG cylinder scheme offers direct financial relief at a time of rising fuel costs. For women and transgender commuters, the expanded bus travel scheme removes long-standing restrictions that had limited access to faster and more comfortable bus services. And for residents near Parandur, the shelving of the airport project brings an end to years of uncertainty over land acquisition. Detailed implementation guidelines for the Annapoorani Super Six scheme, including the application and verification process, are expected to be issued closer to its January rollout.
As Tamil Nadu heads into the next phase of these welfare rollouts, attention will now turn to how efficiently the Direct Benefit Transfer mechanism is implemented and whether the expanded bus network can absorb the anticipated rise in ridership from October onward. The government has also indicated that further announcements on airport expansion plans, including the proposed fifth terminal at Chennai airport, will follow in the coming months.
