Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department today told the Madras High Court Bench here that the Centre had not involved it in MDBTL for LPG scheme as the entire subsidy was borne by them, distribution network was under control of public sector OMCs and the issue was the Centre's administrative competence and jurisdiction.
The Department Commissioner stated this in his counter filed before the Court on a PIL by a lawyer Anandhamurgan, challenging the Centre's move to link Aadhaar and bank account details with domestic gas cylinder connection as part of the Modified Direct Benefit Transfer of LPG (DBTL) scheme.
However, the state government had suggested that the total subsidy amount should not be fixed and should be increased as and when LPG market price increased, to ensure that consumers were not put to hardship. It had also opposed the concept of Aadhar card/Aadhar number mandatory for MDBTL scheme.
It had also urged the Prime Minister to address issues such as availability of adequate banking infrastructure across the state by deeper penetration in villages through primary agricultural cooperative societies and post offices.
The state had also opposed the Centre's move to monetize and transfer in cash the subsidy element under PDS.
Anantha Murugan filed the PIL contending that the Supreme Court had restrained the oil companies from demanding Aadhaar card number to provide gas cylinders.
"While so, the central government has introduced a new system, Direct Benefit Transfer of LPG (DBTL), by which it demanded details of Aadhaar/bank account of the customer. Hence, the government's action should be restrained," he said.
