Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Dec 22 – Only around 15 per cent of LPG customers in Assam and the North East have so far become Bank Transfer Complaint (BTC) to avail of the modified Direct Benefit Transfer of LPG (DBTL) scheme which will be launched across the country with effect from January 1, 2015.
Dipankar Ray, General Manager (North East Integrated State Office) of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, told reporters here today that till now the proportion of BTC customers among LPG consumers has reached 15 per cent in the North East and 15.8 per cent in Assam.
“The numbers are going up by one or two per cent every day,” he said, urging all consumers to submit their applications by December 31 so that they can continue to avail of subsidy without any hiccup.
The Centre will launch the Direct Benefit Transfer of LPG (DBTL) in the entire country with effect from January 1, 2015.
The modified (DBTL) scheme was launched in 54 districts of the country on November 15, 2014, in the first phase and it will be launched in the rest of the country on January 1, 2015.
The DBTL scheme was first launched in June 1, 2013 and finally covered 291 districts.
It required the consumer to mandatorily have an Aadhaar number for availing LPG subsidy. The government has comprehensively reviewed the scheme and after examining the difficulties faced by the consumer substantively modified the scheme prior to launch.
Some changes have been brought in the modified scheme to enhance consumer convenience.
Under it, consumers who affirm that they do not have Aadhaar number can receive cash directly in their bank account without producing Aadhaar. However, as and when they get Aadhaar they may shift to Aadhaar-based cash transfer.
Consumers who are not BTC will get a three month grace period during which they will receive the cylinders at subsidized rate. After the grace period, they will get an additional period of three month 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 entitlements and consumption during parking period will be transferred to his bank account.
A permanent advance is paid in the bank account of consumers as soon as they make the first booking for a cylinder after joining the scheme, prior to the delivery. This advance ensures that LPG consumers have extra cash to pay for the first LPG cylinder at market price.