Fast-tracking the ambitious ‘Har Ghar Jal’ scheme that could be its calling card for the election year, reducing price of LPG cylinders hurting the public at more than Rs 1,100, and hiking the money under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi – these are the three moves the BJP-led central government may make before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
According to top sources, at least 67 percent households have tap water connections so far, up from 17 percent when the Jal Jeevan Mission was launched four years ago. The target for 100 percent coverage is 2024 but the Centre is pushing for maximum work to be completed before the elections next year, a top source said.
“The magic that the PM Ujjwala Yojana and PM Awas Yojana did in 2019, the Har Ghar Jal and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi schemes will do in 2024,” the source said.
A massive jump under the drinking water scheme has been reported from Uttar Pradesh – the biggest beneficiary of the state – crossing the mark of 1.5 crore households with tap water. It has rapidly achieved 58 percent coverage so far. Two big opposition-ruled states are struggling – Rajasthan is at 43 percent coverage, so far, while West Bengal is only at 37 percent.
The BJP could use this to highlight how opposition-ruled states are lagging in the game-changing scheme aimed at women voters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned the scheme in his speech from the Red Fort on August 15.
Another step the Centre may take is to reduce the price of LPG cylinders. News18 had earlier reported how the cylinders were priced at over Rs 1,100, which was hurting the BJP in state elections like Karnataka; and there is a realisation at the senior levels in government that something needs to be done.
The LPG cylinder price has almost doubled in the last three years. Though LPG pricing is determined by global prices, and India imports 60 percent of its LPG for domestic consumption, the BJP has feedback that its women voters are unhappy.
Further, in Congress-ruled states like Rajasthan, the state government is offering the LPG cylinder at Rs 500, and bearing the rest of the cost. In Madhya Pradesh, too, Congress leader Kamal Nath has promised the LPG cylinder at Rs 500 if the party comes to power after the assembly elections.
The PM Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries do get a subsidy of Rs 200 per cylinder, reducing the price to about Rs 900. But the Centre could soon intervene so as to provide more relief.
Top sources further said the BJP and the central government has also received feedback from the ground that farmers want a hike in the payout under the PM Kisan Nidhi. Under this scheme, they get Rs 6,000 per year in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 each from the Centre.
Though the government has, so far, officially denied any such proposal, the feeling is that since the money payout has remained static at Rs 6,000 since the launch of the scheme almost four years ago, an upward revision may be in order. The central scheme has been popular on the ground and BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh has decided to give an additional Rs 6,000 a year to its farmers from the state coffers to further cash in on its popularity.
Due to the use of Aadhaar and bank account seeding to eliminate fake beneficiaries, the number of farmers receiving money under this scheme has dropped from about 11 crore in previous years to about 8.8 crore and, hence, the Centre does have some budget at hand.
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