AMARAVATI, October 24 — The Andhra Pradesh Consumer Affairs, Food and Civil Supplies Department formally issued the operational guidelines for the 'Deepam 2.0' scheme, fulfilling a cornerstone commitment under the NDA government's 'Super Six' welfare manifesto. Under the scheme, over 1.48 crore eligible Below Poverty Line (BPL) white ration card-holding households across the state will receive three domestic liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder refills completely free of cost every financial year.
Financial Outlay and Phased Delivery Schedule
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu approved an annual budgetary allocation of ₹2,684 crore to finance the subsidy burden. The rollout schedule divides the financial year into three four-month delivery windows:
- Phase 1 (Window 1): October 31, 2026 (Diwali launch) to February 28, 2027 - Phase 2 (Window 2): March 1, 2027 to June 30, 2027 - Phase 3 (Window 3): July 1, 2027 to October 31, 2027
Beneficiaries can book one free cylinder within each four-month bracket through existing oil marketing company (OMC) channels—Indian Oil Corporation (Indane), Bharat Petroleum (Bharatgas), or Hindustan Petroleum (HP Gas).
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Disbursement Architecture
To ensure zero leakage and transparency, the Department adopted an automated Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism in coordination with public sector oil companies:
1. The consumer pays the prevailing retail selling price (RSP) at the time of cylinder delivery. 2. The OMC system transmits automated delivery confirmation via API to the AP Civil Supplies Corporation portal. 3. The state government reimburses the full retail amount directly into the woman head of household's Aadhaar-Enabled Payment System (AePS) bank account within 48 hours of successful delivery.
Eligibility & Verification Criteria
To qualify for Deepam 2.0 benefits, households must fulfill three statutory conditions: - Possession of an active white ration card issued by the AP Civil Supplies Department - Domestic LPG connection registered in the name of the female head of the family - Completed biometric e-KYC linked to both the ration card and the gas connection consumer ID
Unmarried single women, widow pensioners, and tribal households holding RoFR (Recognition of Forest Rights) patta cards without prior LPG access are accorded expedited single-day connection sanction under the revamped scheme.
Socio-Economic & Environmental Objectives
The government noted that indoor air pollution from biomass and solid fuel combustion disproportionately affects women and children in rural Rayalaseema and North Coastal Andhra districts. Deepam 2.0 aims to achieve 100% clean cooking fuel adoption, reducing pulmonary disorders and carbon footprint while mitigating household expenditure pressures on low-income families.
Exam Relevance: APPSC Group-1 Mains (GS Paper II — Welfare Mechanisms, Laws, Institutions and Bodies for Vulnerable Sections; GS Paper III — Planning and Indian Economy); APPSC Group-2 Prelims & Mains (AP Social & Economic Development, Governance); AP Police SI & Constable (Current Events & State Welfare Initiatives); AP Mega DSC (Social Studies & General Awareness). Key facts: Scheme name: Deepam 2.0; Free refills: 3 cylinders/year; Budget: ₹2,684 crore/year; Beneficiaries: 1.48 crore white ration cardholders; Launch date: October 31, 2026 (Diwali); Mechanism: 48-hour DBT reimbursement.