Non- Aadhaar LPG consumers left in lurch

Non- Aadhaar LPG  consumers left in lurch
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Highlights

Non- Aadhaar LPG consumers left in lurch, Aadhaar-LPG linkage scheme, Aadhaar card, Almost 68 per cent of the 1.5 crore LPG consumers had come under the Aaadhaar-linkage scheme brought to weed out illegal connections.

  • Recently government announced de-linking of the scheme
  • Aadhaar-linked consumers to pay Rs 440 from March 8
  • Only 68% of 1.5 crore gas consumers across State are under Aadhaar-LPG scheme
  • The rest will have to pay non-subsidised amount of Rs 1,300

Hyderabad: While the domestic gas consumers are elated over the announcement of delinking of Aadhaar-LPG linkage scheme, it would not cover those who are yet to come under the scheme.

When asked if the consumer would no longer need an Aadhaar card to avail subsidised LPG, V Shankar Sastry, Deputy Director (petroleum products, Aadhaar), Civil Supplies Department, said: “Technically speaking, until the LPG (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order, 2000, is not amended or changed, those consumers who linked their LPG connections with Aadhaar would get the subsidy and would no longer have to pay the market price. They have to pay subsidised rate to gas agencies, who would receive the subsidy from the government.”

Almost 68 per cent of the 1.5 crore LPG consumers had come under the Aaadhaar-linkage scheme brought to weed out illegal connections.

The rest 32 per cent of the consumers are oblivious to the fact that they have to pay the entire non-subsidised rate of Rs 1,300. Earlier, the domestic gas consumers scrambled to get under the sloppily implemented Aadhaar-LPG link scheme for obtaining subsidy through direct cash transfer, now even as the government announced de-linking of the scheme, there is more confusion as the gas agencies still charge non-subsidised amount of Rs 1,300. The pertinent question among the 1.5 crore LPG consumers in the State is why there is no proper mechanism to address the issues that directly affect the poor households.

According to estimates, out of 1.5 crore, 53 per cent bank linkages have been completed across the State, and a good percentage of this has not been receiving the subsidy. The worst affected districts are Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Anantapur, Kurnool, Mahabubnagar, Vizianagaram and Karimnagar. Despite the fact that Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts were the first where LPG connections with banks began, consumers in these districts have been complaining that the subsidy amount has not been credited in their bank accounts.

Meanwhile, oil marketing companies have started reverting to the old software for billing.

Ingole, chief regional manager, HPCL, said, “We had developed new software for Aadhaar-LPG link, but now would revert to the old one, which would take about a week.”

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