Chennai, Aug 24 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday announced expansion of the fare-free bus travel scheme for women and made services such as deluxe and express free for beneficiaries. Making several announcements in the Assembly, Vijay, fulfilling TVK's key electoral assurances, announced three free cooking gas cylinders and also declared that the Parandur greenfield airport project will be shelved The project had been strongly opposed by farmers who did not wish to part with their farm lands "There will be no riders like income ceiling or number of trips for women to avail fare-free bus travel - Vettri Payanam," Vijay said, making a statement under Rule 110. Women can also travel free of charge on Express, LSS, and Deluxe government buses operating in metropolitan and urban areas and also on regular fare buses in suburban (Mofussil) and hilly areas.

This scheme will be rolled out on October 2, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanthi, he said and added the move will entail the state government an additional expenditure of Rs 6,000 crore per annum.On the Annapoorani Super Six scheme - a major welfare promise made by Vijay in the run up to the April Assembly election, assuring to provide six free LPG cylinders to every eligible family in Tamil Nadu every year to reduce their household living expenditure, the Chief Minister said initially 3-free cooking gas cylinders will be provided, and the amount will be credited directly into the bank account of the beneficiaries."This will reduce the burden of the people who have been spending extra amount to obtain the cylinders. The government has decided to provide the cost of the cooking gas cylinders. Three free LPG cylinders will be given in the first phase and the price for cylinders will be directly credited into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries," Vijay said, amidst loud thumping of tables by the Treasury.

The move will benefit 1,30,16,104 families with an annual income of nearly Rs 2.5 lakh, economically backward, small and medium farmers families, differently abled and poor families."The preparatory work has commenced and the scheme will be launched this Pongal (mid-January) 2027 festival," Vijay said and added the state government will allocate Rs 4,000 crore per annum for this initiative. Agencies