ET Bureau Nov 27, 2014, 02.21PM IST
KOLKATA: Aadhaar or no Aadhaar, LPG cylinders will no more be available from dealers at subsidised rates after March 31, 2015. Moreover, holding an Aadhaar card is no more the necessary criterion for receiving subsidy on cooking gas in bank accounts.
The direct benefit transfer of LPG scheme (DBTL), which was re-introduced on November 15 across 54 districts, would now be launched nationally from January 1. The government has also decided to provide a three-month grace period till March 31, 2015 for households to receive subsidised cylinders directly from their dealers. Beyond this date, the LPG cylinders will be sold at market price.
And if the consumer enrolls for the subsidy transfer scheme by that time, the subsidy will be deposited in the bank account provided in the application. Otherwise, there will be no subsidy at all. |
The period - April 1, 2015 to June 30, 2015 — has been termed as the parking period by the government with respect to this transfer scheme. If a consumer enrolls at any time during this period, he will be entitled to receive the entire subsidy at a go, based on the number of cylinders he already bought from his dealer at non-subsidised rates. If one does not enroll within these three months, no subsidies will accrue.
For enrolling under this scheme, consumers who have Aadhaar numbers will have to first link the Aadhaar number to their bank account. This can be done by submitting a certain Form 1 to the bank. Alternatively, Form 1 can also be deposited at a drop box provided at the distributor's outlet.
The next step would be to link this Aadhaar number with the LPG Consumer Number. It can be done by physically submitting Form 2 to the LPG distributor or via call centre number 1800-2333-555. One can also register at http:rasf.uiadai.gov.in or use the IVRS for cylinder booking. Both Forms can be downloaded at http:www.mylpg.in and the government feels this is the preferred means of enrolling under the scheme.
"Holding a physical Aadhaar card is not necessary for enrolling under this scheme. There are individuals who have not received the physical Aadhaar card. For them, a copy of the e-Aadhaar card downloaded from the UIDAI website is sufficient," said YK Gupta, executive director at Indian Oil Corporation.
In case a consumer does not have the Aadhaar number, he will have to provide his 17digit LPG ID to the bank using Form 3. The 17digit ID would be available on the cash-memo of LPG cylinders that have been delivered in the past. One can also log on to his respective oil marketing company's website, punch the consumer ID to know the 17-digit LPG ID.
However, not all banks are accepting these forms at the moment. "We are in the process of bringing all banks under our network. However, at present, only nine PSU banks would be accepting the form," Gupta said.
Alternatively, the consumer can fill up Form 4 and submit his bank details to the LPG distributor. They can also provide their bank details through the ministry's website, http:www.mylpg.in. Both Forms 3 and 4 can be downloaded from this website or can be collected from the LPG dealer. "After one enrolls under the scheme and books his first cylinder, he will receive an advance of Rs 568 from the government — an amount that will help him buy the first cylinder at the market rate. After the cylinder is delivered, the subsidy portion of the cylinder will be deposited at the bank within two to three days," Gupta said.
