Hyderabad: Problems with the Direct Benefit Transfer scheme have been piling up for domestic LPG consumers in the city.
Technical glitches in the websites maintained by oil marketing companies (OMCs), namely HPCL, BPCL and IOC, are giving consumers a hard time.
Though the mandatory Aadhaar-LPG linkage was launched on September 1, the OMCs have failed to set up an effective technology facilitation mechanism so far.
While the information provided on the companies’ websites confirms linkage with Aadhaar and bank accounts, when customers click on ‘Check Your Aadhaar Status’, it shows otherwise. Due to this, many consumers have not been getting the subsidy amount though they submitted Aadhaar at banks and gas agencies long ago.
Every gas agency in the city has received complaints from many consumers about not receiving the subsidy even when they have fulfilled all requirements. The staff at the gas agencies is unable to account for this and there is no redressal mechanism to resolve these issues.
This causes confrontations between consumers and staff at gas agencies every day. Madhavi, a resident of Lalapet in Secunderabad submitted her Aadhaar details at her bank and the gas agency in Habsiguda in September.
She booked and has received two cylinders since then. But she has not received the subsidy amount so far. She had to pay more than Rs 1,000 for each cylinder. When she verified her Aadhaar status on the website, it shows successful completion of Aadhaar linkage with LPG and bank account. She has made numerous rounds to the gas agency since then to enquire about the subsidy amount, but no one can help her.
“Whenever I approach the gas agency, they ask me to contact the bank and OMC officials. They verify my details and tell
me that my LPG connection has been linked successfully with Aadhaar and bank account and ask me to contact the gas agency again. When I contact the gas agency, they say they have no role in payment of subsidy and only supply cylinders. This has been happening for the last three months,” she said.
She points out that she has already lost two subsidised cylinders. “I had to pay over Rs 1,000 for each cylinder. Why should I lose my hard earned money for no fault of mine? Why am I being troubled again and again for getting my subsidy amount?” she questioned.
When contacted, state oil coordinator for OMCs Madhukar Ingole said the National Payments Corporation of India, is entrusted with the job of payment of subsidy into bank accounts and there has been a problem in updating the AadhaarLPG linkage data with NPCI.
“All such complaints are being referred to headquarters of OMCs on a priority basis. We are trying to resolve these issues soon. We are coordinating with gas agencies and NPCI for the speedy disbursal of subsidy amount to bank accounts,” Ingole said.
Next: Sridhar Babu to meet OMCs
Sridhar Babu to meet OMCs
Hyderabad: The minister for civil supplies, D. Sridhar Babu, will meet officials of Oil Marketing Companies soon, to seek implementation of AP High Court orders on not insisting on Aadhaar for supply of subsidised cylinders. The government is also contemplating to move AP High Court against OMCs for not implementing the court orders.
Though it has been a week since the High Court orders to strike down Aadhaar-LPG linkage, there has been no response either from the Union Petroleum Ministry or the OMCs over the Aadhaar-LPG linkage status so far.
“The government will soon convene a meeting with the officials of the Ministry and OMCs to discuss on implementation of High Court orders. We will see that the HC orders are implemented in letter and spirit. We will also move the High Court against OMCs for non-implementation of Court orders, if the need arises,” Sridhar Babu said.
