DBT to cover entire TS; Aadhaar not must
LPG subsidy not credited to users
Hyderabad: The Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme for domestic LPG consumers will be extended to all the districts of Telangana from Thursday. Meanwhile, complaints are pouring in from consumers about non-receipt of subsidy in their bank accounts.
The subsidy amount is supposed to be credited within three days after the delivery of cylinders but there are complaints that it is getting delayed by weeks and over a month in some cases. Some people have not at all received the subsidy.
At present the DBT scheme covers the Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy and Adilabad districts. Consumers need submit only their bank account details and Aadhaar is not mandatory now.
The scheme was launched in the three districts on November 15. However, there are complaints that the subsidy is not being credited even a month after the delivery of cylinders while in some cases no subsidy was credited.
According to gas distribution agencies the delay is on account of a technical glitch in integrating bank accounts with consumer numbers. “The delay has occurred only in the case of some banks due to a technical glitch.
Normally, the subsidy will be credited within three days of cylinder delivery. In our agency, out of 9,688 consumers only nine failed to receive subsidy so far,” said D. Ashok Kumar, president, Greater Hyderabad LPG Distributors' Association.
The software was prepared to meet the needs of the DBT scheme launched during the UPA regime in July 2013 for which Aadhaar was mandatory.
Now as per the modified DBT scheme Aadhaar is not a must and leaving that column empty has been leading to a problem in the case of some banks and consumers. Also the change in bank accounts is also cited as one of the reasons for the delay.
A three-month “grace period” and another three months “parking period” is being given for consumers to join the scheme. Consumers without bank accounts will continue to receive cylinders at the subsidised price during the grace period and at the non-subsidised price during the parking period.
However, they will get the accumulated subsidy during the parking period only if they submit bank details by then. Otherwise they will lose the subsidy. The grace period in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy and Adilabad districts will end on February 15 and the parking period on May 15. For the remaining seven districts the grace period will end on March 31 and the parking period will end on June 30.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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