Rohith B R, TNN | Feb 3, 2015, 04.00AM IST
BENGALURU: When C Rakesh, a resident of Mallathahalli in West Bengaluru, booked a gas cylinder in the first week of January, he expected it to reach him within a week or a fortnight at the most. However, with no cylinder in sight even after four weeks, and no response to queries over helpline, Rakesh decided to visit the distributor's office.
What he discovered there left him gobsmacked. The staff there told him that the delivery had been withheld as he is yet to submit his Aadhaar or bank account number. When Rakesh explained to them about Direct Benefit transfer of LPG - DBTL (renamed as Pahal now) rules and customers having a grace period till March to submit documents, the distributor put the onus on the oil company, saying they have held back supply of LPG loads to those who are yet to be DBTL compliant.
Following heated arguments, Rakesh's request was processed and he finally received the cylinder on Sunday, a month after he first booked it. This isn't an isolated case. Faiza Imran, a resident of Koramangala, is going through a similar ordeal. "The staff at the agency office doesn't have the patience to listen to customers, despite our telling them that there's still time to submit documents under Pahal. All they know is they have to achieve a target; they are least bothered about rules. The government or local administration should intervene. I have been waiting for a cylinder for 25 days now," she added.
Gas distributors, under pressure from oil companies like IOC, HP and BP, to speed up DBTL enumerations, are tweaking rules to create artificial scarcity and harassing customers.
BC Shivananda, a resident of Amruthahalli in North Bengaluru, said he had no problem registering under DBTL but he is in the process of getting the LPG connection changed to his wife's name and it would take time. "How can the distributor delay cylinder delivery despite the central government clearly specifying grace period till March end?" he questioned.
Sources in the Union petroleum ministry say oil companies are under pressure to speed up Pahal enumerations. "They are trying all kinds of tricks to ensure customers come forward and submit Aadhaar or bank account details and make themselves DBTL complaint. As far as Bengaluru is concerned, there are 39 lakh LPG customers and we have achieved 62% compliance. Less than two months remain to achieve the target," he added.
N Sathyan, secretary, All India LPG Dealers Federation, Karnataka Circle, has a different take. "There could be stray cases of genuine customers getting delayed deliveries. But there are also many customers who are trying their best to avoid documents submission quoting silly reasons. This could be because many of them have multiple or fake connections. With Pahal aimed at removing fake gas connections and stopping leakage of subsidy, there is a need to push for the scheme," he added.
Sathyan said customers should understand that Pahal will only help them and proper subsidy will reach their accounts. "Even LPG distributors are under pressure. Every day, up to 800 people come to our office with various queries," he added.
Once an LPG customer joins Pahal (DBTL) scheme, he or she becomes cash transfer compliant. As per the new government order, Rs 568 is transferred to a customer's account after a cylinder is booked. Once the cylinder arrives at the doorstep, the customer has to pay the market price.
(Rs 737 is the current market price of domestic non-subsidized 14.2 kg cylinder).
AADHAAR HOLDERS
* 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 or sending it to the address given in the form or contacting the call centre (18002333555) or logging on to rasf.uidai.gov.in
* WITHOUT AADHAAR
* Submit your bank account details by filling Form 4 at your LPG distributor's office or upload 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)
* ALREADY UNDER DBTL
If you had joined the previous DBTL scheme and received the advance (subsidy) in your bank account then there is nothing to worry
Note: Forms 1,2,3 and 4 are available on mylpg.in and LPG distributors.