RANCHI: Jharkhand became the first state in the country to start direct benefit transfer (DBT) against subsidy on Kerosene oil to consumers on Wednesday. Chief minister Raghubar Das and public distribution and consumer affairs minister Saryu Rai together in presence of union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas (independent charge) Dharmendra Pradhan handed over cheques of subsidy amount to the beneficiaries in a token style marking the beginning of the scheme in four districts of the state—Chatra, Hazaribag, Khunti and Jamtara. At present around 7.5 lakh families would get the DBT in their bank accounts whereas the scheme would be soon rolled out in all 24 districts of the state.Das, his cabinet colleagues Rai and HRD minister Neera Yadav along with Pradhan and his ministerial colleague at Centre Suradshan Bhagat also started Prime Minister's Ujjwala Yojna in the state under which 8.4 lakh BPL families would be given LPG connection for free. Though a pilot project was launched in Dumka on October 2, last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi , it took one year for the state government to finally launch the scheme. Justifying the delay Pradhan said that Centre was ready to give Rs.1600 as subsidy to the BPL families all over the country targeting around 5 crore new connections. “Jharkhand is all set to extend this benefit to 27 lakh families during the next three years but the delay was on account of state’s decision to bear even the remaining cost of around Rs.1600 for each of the BPL families,” he said.Pradhan clarified under Central scheme after one time cash support of Rs.1600 to each BPL family it was proposed that the remaining balance of Rs.1600 would be adjusted against the monthly subsidy admissible on LPG cylinder to the BPL consumer. “In case of Jharkhand, state government agreed to bear the remaining Rs.1600 from its exchequer and make it completely free for the beneficiaries, making it a unique state,” he said.Pradhan expressed surprise over the low rate of LPG connections in Jharkhand. As against national average of 65 LPG connection per 100 families, Pakur district in Jharkhand has the lowest LPG coverage rate in the country which is below ten for every 100 families. “Even sub capital Dumka has a poor figure of 14 LPG connections per 100 families,” Pradhan said blaming it on previous governments for forcing rural women in Jharkhand to health hazards triggered by smoke of the wood stoves.