01 January 2014 :: The PAHAL (DBTL) scheme was earlier launched on 1st June 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. The modified scheme has been re-launched in 54 districts on 15.11.2014 in the 1st Phase and to be launched in rest of the country on 1.1.2015.
Consumers who wish to join the scheme will have to either link their Aadhaar number into their bank account and their LPG consumer 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. A sum of Rs.568 will be paid in advance to the consumer, in the bank account, who now joins the scheme, as soon as he makes the first booking for a cylinder after joining the scheme to ensure that he has extra money required to pay for the first LPG cylinder at market price. This is in addition to subsidy that is paid on each cylinder. Camps are being set up at various banks, and LPG distributor’s premises to enable LPG consumers to open bank account and enroll for Aadhaar if they need to do so to join the scheme.
To keep consumers informed about their status in the scheme, consumers will receive SMS at every stage in the scheme. To avail of this feature all LPG consumers are requested to register their mobile number with their distributor if they have not done so. They are also advised to receive cylinders only with cash memos to be assured of their subsidy transfer.
The scheme will cover over 15.3 crore consumers across 676 districts of the country. Currently over 6.5 crore consumers i.e. 43% have already joined the scheme and will receive subsidy in their bank account.
DBTL is designed to ensure that the benefit meant for the genuine domestic customer reaches them directly and is not diverted. By this process public money will be saved. All LPG customers are requested to immediately join the scheme as above.
All LPG consumers who are yet to join the scheme must do so quickly. Those who do not have bank accounts must first open bank accounts and then submit the required details to their LPG distributor/Bank for becoming cash transfer compliant.
As on 30 December 2014, an amount of Rs.624 crore has been transferred to over 20 Lakh LPG consumers since the launch of the scheme on 15th November 2014.
8. LPG consumers who do not wish to avail the LPG subsidy for LPG cylinders can simply choose to opt out of subsidy. Over 12000 citizens have already voluntarily given up subsidy freeing up crores of subsidy amount for their less privileged brethren.
