LPG connections fall as unlinked accounts face e-KYC deadline, new links on hold
LPG connection numbers have dropped as oil firms verify accounts with Aadhaar and pause new domestic connections, with e-KYC due by September 30.
Millions of households and eateries across the country use LPG cylinders to cook every day. For those who have not yet linked their gas connection to Aadhaar, this is important news, because the total number of LPG connections in the country has fallen.
LPG consumers have for some time been asked to verify their connection with Aadhaar. The purpose of this verification is to ensure that the subsidy on cylinders reaches the right people. It is also being checked whether more than one connection is running in the name of a single person. Updating records and removing fake connections are also part of this exercise, which has led ordinary people to ask what this action is really about.
One reason for the halt on new domestic gas connections is the ongoing tension in the Middle East. This tension has affected the supply of LPG, petrol and diesel, pushing up the prices of domestic and commercial cylinders. Because of this disruption in supply, oil companies have for now stopped issuing new domestic LPG connections.
Oil companies have also started checking old connections to find out which ones are in use and which are not. This exercise has caused a fall in the number of LPG connections, which has also affected the number of beneficiaries under the Ujjwala Yojana. According to the report, Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries have fallen from 106.3 million to 105.7 million, a decrease of about 600,000 beneficiaries.
Several reasons are being given for the fall in the number of LPG connections. First, new connections have been stopped because of the supply shortage. Besides this, oil companies are also carrying out Aadhaar verification of old connections. Connections that have not been used for a long time are also being checked. Multiple connections running in the name of the same family are being scrutinised, and households that already have a PNG connection are also being checked.
The deadline to complete e-KYC for LPG connections has been set as September 30. If e-KYC is not done by that date, the subsidy on gas cylinders may stop from October 1. There could also be difficulty in booking a cylinder going forward. Consumers who have not yet verified their connection with Aadhaar have the opportunity to complete this within the set deadline.
