Reported by Santosh Jagdev
Bhubaneswar, Nov 26:
Bhubaneswar, Nov 26:
After a comprehensive review, the Union government has planned to re-launch the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme for subsidized LPG cylinders with suitable modifications in the rest 23 districts of Odisha on January 1, 2015, KK Sharma, General Manager of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) for the Odisha region said here today.
Briefing newsmen here, Sharma said with the modifications in DBT scheme, consumers who do not have Aadhaar card now, can have the subsidy credited directly to their bank account without producing Aadhaar. However, as and when they get the Aadhaar card, they may have to shift to Aadhaar based cash transfer, he said.
Nearly 4 lakh consumers having Aadhaar number have already been covered under the pilot project launched in nine districts of the state on June 1, 2013. With the re-launch of the scheme with major modifications, the number of consumers covered is now set to total 24 lakh, the IOCL GM said.
The modified DBT scheme has already been launched in 54 districts of the country on November 15 in the first phase and would be extended to the rest of the country on January 1 next year, he added.
Sharma clarified that consumers, who have joined the DBT scheme and are receiving cash subsidy in their bank accounts, do not need to do anything further. To confirm this, they should check their cash transfer complaint (CTC) status on www.MyLPG.in, he added.
Consumers, who are not on CTC, will get a three-month grace period during which they will receive the cylinders at subsidized rates. After the grace period, they will get an additional period of three months as parking period.
During the parking period, they will have to buy cylinders at the market rate. If the consumer joins the scheme within the parking period, the subsidy as per entitlement and consumption during parking period will be transferred to his bank account.
There are two options to join the scheme. LPG consumers who have Aadhaar number must provide it to LPG distributor using Fform 2 and to bank using Form 1. But if the LPG consumers do not have Aadhaar number, one can give bank details to LPG distributor in Form 4 or the 17-digit LPG ID to the bank using Form 3, Sharma said.
When one joins the scheme, a permanent advance of Rs 568 is paid iton the bank account of consumers as soon as he/she makes the first booking for a cylinder prior to the delivery. This advance ensures that LPG consumers have extra cash to pay for the first LPG cylinder at market price. The permanent advance shall be notified to the consumers now joining the scheme separately. This apart, a consumer can withdraw subsidy money from the bank ATMs whenever he requires.