CUSTOMERS NOT TAKING PAHAL: LPG AGENCIES
By Chetna Choudhary | Jan 6, 2015, 02.00 AM IST
As the process of linking Aadhar cards and bank account numbers to avail subsidy on cooking gas remains unfinished, the government has once again pushed back the deadline for linkage to March 31. However, it seems that instead of taking advantage of the extra time and finishing the paperwork, customers in the city are using this opportunity to take it slow. Sources reveal that footfall of customers to enrol for subsidy scheme at gas agencies has come down by 10 to 50 per cent. "We have 8,000 customers. However, only 50 per cent have been linked so far even though our employees have personally delivered Form 4 to every household.
The footfall has dropped by 10 per cent at least after the extension of deadline was announced," said Tarlesh Pathak, district supply mamlatdar for Navrangpura. Sources from Gujarat State Civil supply office reveal that linking bank accounts take time. "After the form is submitted, it takes a few weeks to link the bak account or Aadhar card due to mistakes in spellings of names, addresses, and bank details. Although, it is no longer necessary to have an Aadhar card, submission and clearing of other documents require time. At the same time, each gas agency has to provide daily status updates to the ministry of petroleum and natural gas," said an employee.
Harshad Kumari, owner of Shivshakti gas agency in Satellite, said, "We are supposed to link bank accounts and submit details of at least 90 per cent of our customers by January 15. But only 40 per cent of my 25,000 customers have been linked so far. The customers should realise that it takes time to link so they should not wait till March to do the paper work." While, many are taking it slow, there are those who linked their bank accounts well in time but are still awaiting subsidies. Technically, an amount is deposited into the customer's account depending upon the price of the LPG cylinder. However, there are many who are still awaiting their subsidies. "I linked the account a month ago. Everything is done, yet I have not received any subsidy. So I have come with all the forms again," said Meghana Vyas, a lawyer from Law Garden.
WHAT'S THE SCHEME
The Direct Benefit Transfer of LPG scheme, now renamed as Pahal ((Pratyaksh Hanstantrit Labh), was launched across country on January 1. Consumers who wish to join the scheme will have to either link their Aadhaar number to their bank account and their LPG consumer number or, if they do not possess Aadhaar number, they will have to link their bank account directly with their 17- digit LPG ID. Once a consumer joins the scheme, he will get the cylinders at market price and will receive LPG subsidy directly in his bank account. Asum will be paid in advance to the bank account of the consumer as soon as he makes the first booking for a cylinder, to ensure that he has money required to pay for the first LPG cylinder at market price. This is in addition to subsidy that is paid on each cylinder. Consumers will receive SMS at every stage. To avail of this feature, consumers have to register their mobile number with distributors.
WHAT TO DO
IF YOU HAVE AADHAAR
» Link your Aadhaar number to your bank account by filling Form 1 and depositing it at either the bank or drop box at the LPG distributor office.
» Link your Aadhaar number to LPG connection by submitting Form 2 to the LPG distributor, sending it to the address given in the form, by contacting call centre (18002333555) or logging on to rasf.uidai.gov.in
IF YOU DON'T HAVE AADHAAR
» Submit your bank account details by submitting Form 4 at your LPG distributor's office or uploading the details on mylpg.in
» Fill LPG connection ID details in Form 3 and submit it at select bank branches (list available on petroleum. nic.in/dbtl)
NOTE: Form 1, 2, 3 and 4 are available on mylpg.in and with LPG distributors
