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Even as the modified Direct Benefit transfer of LPG (DBTL) scheme is set to be launched pan-India by January 1, 2015, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Ltd. has set a target of 90 per cent cash transfer compliance (CTC) among its consumers by mid January.
Earlier, the DBTL scheme was launched on June 1, 2013 but required consumers to mandatorily have an Aadhaar number for availing LPG Subsidy. Post review, the government later modified the scheme allowing consumers who do not have an Aadhaar number to still be cash transfer compliant by registering their bank accounts.
“Right now the scheme is on a mission mode. We will be integrating our distributors even to the point of delivery boys to go to our consumers for getting them cash transfer compliant. The government has now made the process easy by allowing consumers to be compliant through their bank accounts,” said D K Sharma, general manager (I/C) and state level co-ordinator, Gujarat at Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.
There are roughly 6.5 million LPG domestic consumers in Gujarat between the three PSUs - IOCL, HPCL and BPCL, of which IOCL garners a 50 per cent market share. While currently roughly 10 per cent of the consumers are cash transfer compliant, IOC aims to achieve 90 per cent by January 15, 2015. For this, the company has also set daily targets of 1.5 per cent additions through distributors.
Under the modified scheme, consumers who affirm that they do not have Aadhaar number, can receive cash directly in their bank account without producing Aadhaar. However, as and when they get Aadhaar they may have to shift to Aadhaar based cash transfer.
Further, consumers who are not CTC will get a three months ‘Grace Period’ during which they will receive the cylinders at subsidised rate. After the ‘Grace Period’, they will get an additional period of three month as ‘Parking Period’.
