LPG subsidy: Beneficiaries to approach banks for seeding Aadhaar number

This is in contrast to the governments earlier approach while rolling out the first phase of the direct benefit transfer DBT scheme in 43 districts,when camps were set up in the targeted areas. Beneficiaries could go and enroll for Aadhaar numbers and provide details of their bank account or post office for transferring of the cash subsidy.

Everyone who buys LPG gets a subsidy and is a beneficiary. Given the huge numbers,this would be a more efficient and direct way of seeding Aadhaar numbers into bank accounts, said a senior official.

Consumers are entitled to nine subsidised LPG cylinders and with the implementations of the DBT,the government will transfer the Rs 435 per cylinder subsidy directly instead of giving it to oil companies. Annually,this would amount to about Rs 4,000 per year by the government to each household as a cash transfer enabling them to buy LPG at market rates. The large consumer base for LPG subsidy was also highlighted by the PMs principal secretary Pulok Chatterji in his letter to petroleum secretary Vivek Rae.