The public sector oil marketing companies have launched Aadhaar-based Direct Benefit Transfer of LPG Subsidy (DBTL) scheme in Pathanamthitta and Wayanad districts.
The scheme will benefit more than 4.2 lakh customers in these two districts providing LPG subsidy to consumers directly in their bank accounts, using the Aadhaar platform.
Under the scheme, advance subsidy will be transferred to the bank account of all LPG customers of public sector, who have completed the formalities of seeding their Aadhaar numbers with their LPG distributor as well as with their respective banks.
With the scheme launch, the officials said that advance subsidy has been successfully transferred to the bank account of customers who have completed the formalities and have booked cylinders to enable them to buy the cylinders at market rate.
This is a landmark in the evolution of direct benefit transfer program, by using an array of technologies. It is perhaps a first of its kind anywhere in the world, considering the scale and diversity of beneficiaries, a senior official said.
For the benefit of LPG consumers, the companies have provided the facility on their websites (Transparency Portal) to check whether the Aadhaar number has been linked to LPG consumer number and their bank account.
LPG consumers, who have not complete formalities till now, will have a grace period of three months up to August 31 to complete the formalities.
After this all consumers who have not completed the formalities will need to buy LPG cylinders at market price, without any subsidy, till they complete the formalities, the official said.
The DBTL scheme will eliminate all fake LPG connections and diversion of cylinders, and ensure that benefit is transferred to the intended beneficiary thereby curbing leakage in the subsidy delivery system, he added.