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E-KYC now mandatory for all domestic LPG consumers amid supply shortage

The ministry added that the process can now be verified from home using the mobile app of one's Oil Marketing Company and the Aadhaar FaceRD app.

LPG gas e-kycShyam Kumar, a vegetable seller in Kalkaji, has seen his daily life upended as black-market LPG prices soar to ₹3,000. With the West Asia conflict choking 90% of India’s gas imports, his family is struggling to afford basic meals. (ANI Photo)

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on Saturday said that all domestic LPG consumers are required to complete their biometric Aadhaar authentication (e-KYC).

The ministry added that the verifification can be completed from home using the mobile app of one’s Oil Marketing Company and the Aadhaar FaceRD app.

It also advised consumers to contact their LPG distributor and provided a toll-free helpline number for assistance.

Also Read | LPG crisis: Left with no choice, people in rural Punjab shift to earthen chullahs, induction cooktops

This comes amid a supply shortage of LPG cylinders across cities in India due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East. The West Asia conflict triggered by the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran has halted the movement of ships through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

The price of a 14.2-kg domestic LPG cylinder in Delhi has climbed to Rs 913, up from Rs 853 – a rise of Rs 60 – while commercial cylinder prices have jumped by Rs 115 to Rs 1,884.50 (for a 19 kg cylinder).

The shortage has led to panic-buying, and authorities have reported multiple cases of hoarding. In Karnataka’s Kengeri area, police arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly stockpiling LPG cylinders from various brands to sell at inflated prices. In Delhi, police have suspended all routine leave and deployed personnel around the clock at cylinder depots to prevent hoarding and black marketing.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government has capped the daily regulated supply of commercial LPG cylinders at 20% of the city’s average daily consumption to manage the crisis.

Karishma Ayaldasani is a Senior Sub Editor at The Indian Express. She has previously worked as a Social Media Sub-Editor at Firstpost and as a Creative Strategist at Clematis Advertising. She holds a PGDM in Journalism and Mass Communication from Xavier's Institute of Communications, Mumbai and a degree in Economics (Honours) from Sophia College, Ajmer. ... Read More

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