IOC blocks 10.2 lakh LPG connections

Company has identified another 1.49 crore households were multiple connections have been taken at the same addresses under different names

State-owned Indian Oil Corp, the nation's largest fuel retailer, has blocked 10.2 lakh domestic cooking gas connections in the country in its drive to eliminate multiple connections at the same address.

"We have blocked LPG supply to 10.20 lakh households where multiple connections were taken in the same name and at the same address," IOC Director (Marketing) M Nene told reporters here.

It has identified another 1.49 crore households were multiple connections have been taken at the same addresses under different names.

The consumers, he said, have been asked to fill the Know Your Customer (KYC) forms so as to help the company identify genuinue consumers, he said.

In a nationwide exercise to weed out multiple or ghost connections, the state-owned oil firms have asked consumers to fill in KYC forms by November 15.

The drive to weed out multiple connections at same address follow last month's government decision to cap supply of subsidised LPG to six cylinders per household in a year.

The official said oil firms are implementing the policy of 'one household, one connection' and have asked consumers to voluntarily give up additional connections.

Multiple LPG connections in the 'same name and at the same address' as well as 'husband and wife' owning connections at the same address would be summarily disconnected.

In case of multiple connections at same address under different names, distributors have been asked to collect KYC forms to verify genuine users.

Consumers in the KYC form have to gives all the necessary details like name, date of birth, father's name, mother's name, spouse name, complete address with pin-code and also an optional information about bank details. They have to submit self-attested photocopies of address and ID proof along with the filled in form.

Nene said transfer of LPG connection to family members during lifetime would be permitted, subject to certain conditions.

Also, transfer of LPG connections to legal heir in case of death of consumers would henceforth be done through a self- declaration by the next of kin and death certificate.

Previously, legal heir/succession certificate was required.

"All LPG consumers are eligible for three subsidised domestic cylinders during the remaining part of the current year ending March 31, 2013," he said.

New subsidised LPG connections will be issued after completion of the KYC formalities and multiple connection check.

There is no restriction on the number of domestic non-subsidised cylinders that consumers can avail beyond the three subsidised LPG refills to meet their genuine demand.

From April 1, next year, LPG consumers can avail six domestic subsidised LPG refill cylinders in a financial year.