New Delhi, Jan 31, 2015, DHNS:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reviewed the direct benefit transfer scheme for LPG subsidy which has witnessed 9.75 crore enrolments within 30 days of its launch.
The scheme, called Pahal, from Pratyaksha Hastaantarit Laabh, is a part of the government's immediate strategy to check LPG subsidy by plugging leakage in the system
Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan made a presentation on Pahal to Modi at a high-level meeting, said official sources.
The government hopes to save about Rs 7,500 crore in LPG subsidy, pegged at Rs 46,458 crore last fiscal, through Pahal with roughly 80 per cent enrolment.
The prime minister also asked officials to expedite Aadhaar enrolment and linkages with bank accounts, so people can benefit from the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana.
Pradhan said under Pahal, LPG cylinders were sold at market rates and entitled consumers got the subsidy directly into their bank accounts. “This is done either through an Aadhaar linkage or a bank account linkage,” he said.
Modi asked officials to cover entire population under Pahal. As on date, 9.75 crore LPG consumers have joined the scheme. This is 66 per cent of the total consumer base of 15 crore.
Rs 3,654 crore has already been transferred into the bank accounts of LPG consumers through 9.25 crore transactions.
The modified scheme has put in place various mechanisms to simplify enrolment and enhance consumer convenience.
Thus, only 1.09 lakh complaints have been received so far, which constitute a mere 0.1 per cent of the transactions. Over 85 per cent of the complaints have been resolved, said officials.
The scheme, called Pahal, from Pratyaksha Hastaantarit Laabh, is a part of the government's immediate strategy to check LPG subsidy by plugging leakage in the system
Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan made a presentation on Pahal to Modi at a high-level meeting, said official sources.
The government hopes to save about Rs 7,500 crore in LPG subsidy, pegged at Rs 46,458 crore last fiscal, through Pahal with roughly 80 per cent enrolment.
The prime minister also asked officials to expedite Aadhaar enrolment and linkages with bank accounts, so people can benefit from the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana.
Pradhan said under Pahal, LPG cylinders were sold at market rates and entitled consumers got the subsidy directly into their bank accounts. “This is done either through an Aadhaar linkage or a bank account linkage,” he said.
Modi asked officials to cover entire population under Pahal. As on date, 9.75 crore LPG consumers have joined the scheme. This is 66 per cent of the total consumer base of 15 crore.
Rs 3,654 crore has already been transferred into the bank accounts of LPG consumers through 9.25 crore transactions.
The modified scheme has put in place various mechanisms to simplify enrolment and enhance consumer convenience.
Thus, only 1.09 lakh complaints have been received so far, which constitute a mere 0.1 per cent of the transactions. Over 85 per cent of the complaints have been resolved, said officials.