LPG consumers keen to get covered under direct benefit transfer

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 10

Consumers are once again displaying keenness to get covered under the PAHAL- Direct Benefits Transfer for LPG (DBTL) Scheme after the government introduced new time schedule.

Earlier, the process of linking Aadhaar cards with bank accounts was moving at slow pace. It will facilitate subsidy to the LPG customers straight into their bank accounts.

Now, consumers will get cylinders at subsidised price up to February 14, 2015 and market price for next three months, but the subsidy due will be released to them if they join the scheme before May 14, 2015.

From May 15, 2015 all LPG consumers will get cylinders at market price and only those who join the scheme will receive one time permanent advance and subsidy from the date of joining.

There are over 4 lakh LPG consumers in the city. Earlier, the final date of linking Aadhaar cards with bank accounts to avail subsidy was upto January 31.

The slow pace of linking Aadhaar cards with bank accounts coupled with uncertainty over the approach of the newly formed Union Government prompted the old gas companies to extend the deadline.

A consumer, Harjit Singh of Chowk Hakima, said he has been a LPG consumer for the past over three decades and was associated with a single company. However, neither the agency nor the dealer informed him about filing up the form for availing the subsidy. He said it was from his acquaintances he learnt about the change in rules.

Another consumer, Jasbir Singh of Puttalighar area, said he learnt about the limited period to avail the direct benefit transfer of subsidy for LPG consumers from newspapers and went to the gas agency.

Officials at Food Supply Department maintained that the number would go up as all the gas agencies have been asked to inform and pursue the consumers to get their Aadhaar card linked with the bank account and gas connection numbers.

Officials of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) said, “Each gas agency in the district has been provided two forms to get them filled from the consumers. One of the forms is to be submitted to the gas agency and another at the concerned branch of the bank. Besides, drop boxes have been installed at gas agencies to collect the forms to be submitted to the lead bank, which is Punjab National Bank in the district. A mechanism has been evolved under which the forms for banks are submitted within three days. They claimed that they were also intimating the customers about the process through SMS as mobile numbers of about 80 per cent of the consumers are with the gas agencies.”