50.85 lakh LPG consumers eligible for subsidy in TN

Rs. 568 as advance to be credited to bank accounts

Around 4.9 lakh LPG consumers in the city are likely to receive Rs. 568 as advance in their bank accounts to buy cooking gas at market price. These are customers who have booked cylinders and are waiting for refills.

A cylinder of subsidised domestic gas costs Rs. 404.50 in Chennai. Consumers, who have enrolled in the Pahal scheme where the government deposits the subsidy amount directly into their bank accounts, will have to pay Rs. 705 per cylinder on delivery, and draw the subsidy paid into their accounts.

In the neighbouring Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts, a total of 4.9 lakh and 2.89 lakh customers respectively are eligible to get the subsidy. In the State, out of 1.53 crore LPG customers, 50.85 lakh are eligible to receive cash, said oil industry sources.

Meanwhile, enrolment in the scheme is progressing well with oil companies and distributors burning the midnight oil. Employees even worked on the New Year day so that more consumers can join the scheme.

“We have met bankers and have asked them to speed up processing of applications. We have about 10,000 applications collected on behalf of the banks,” explained an oil industry source. Consumers have been complaining that banks are going slow on processing their applications for linking Aadhar cards or 17-digit LPG IDs with their accounts.

“It has been 25 days since I submitted my application in a nationalised bank, but it is yet to be processed,” said Krishnan, a resident of Velachery.

Oil company sources said that though the scheme had been rolled out from January 1, 2015 consumers will continue to get cylinders at a subsidised rate till March end.

Online link

Many customers who had Aadhar cards were able to link their details on www.mylpg.in. “Though I followed the correct procedure, I am yet to get confirmation for my online registration. It has been over 20 days since I registered. I could not also get any confirmation from *99*99# that we have to dial for status. When I asked my agency, they asked me to wait,” said N. Ananthan, a resident of Vadapalani. Many consumers such as Ananthan say that they are unable to get confirmation online. However, oil company sources said that initial hitches had been set right and that residents should check online once again for the status update.