The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has found rampant misuse of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna (PMUY) in terms of low consumption, diversions and considerable delays in supply of cylinders.
The CAG noticed that due to lack of input validation check in Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) software, 1.88 lakh connections were released against Abridged Household List Temporary Identification Numbers (AHL TINs) of males.
CAG has highlighted the risk of diversion of domestic cylinders for commercial use as 1.98 lakh beneficiaries had an average annual consumption of more than 12 cylinders.
PMUY is an ambitious scheme of the Modi Government to provide LPG connections to women belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. CAG has said that encouraging the sustained usage of LPG remains a big challenge as the annual average refill consumption
of PMUY consumers has declined. The annual average refill consumption of 1.93 crore PMUY consumers (who have completed more than one year as on March 31, 2018) was only 3.66 refills as worked out by audit.
The CAG report, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, revealed that out of 3.78 crore LPG connections, 1.60 crore (42 per cent) connections were issued only on the basis of beneficiary Aadhaar. Interestingly, the audit revealed lack of input validation in IOCL software allowed issue of 0.80 lakh connections to beneficiaries aged below 18 years.
Similarly, data analysis revealed that 8.59 lakh connections were released to minor beneficiaries. The audit highlighted highlighted various deficiencies like the issuance of LPG connections by the LPG distributors to unintended beneficiaries, deficiencies in the LPG software of the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) in identification of intended beneficiaries and deficiencies in de-duplication process.
In a Performance Audit Report, the CAG said that encouraging the sustained usage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) remains a big challenge as the annual average refill consumption of PMUY consumers on 31 December 2018 was only 3.21.
"Similar analysis for 3.18 crore PMUY beneficiaries as on 31 December 2018 revealed that refill consumption declined to 3.21 refills per annum. Also, low consumption of refills by 0.92 crore consumers who had availed loans, hindered recovery of outstanding loan of Rs 1234.71 crore," the report said.
"Deficiencies in de-duplication to restrict issuance of duplicate connections were noticed in 12465 cases. Further, lack of input validation check allowed release of 42187 connections against invalid AHL TINs," the report said.
The CAG said that delay of more than 10 days (ranging up to 664 days) was noticed in delivery of 36.62 lakh LPG refills against the stipulated delivery period of seven days.
The Government, on its part, claims that around 87% beneficiaries have returned for at least second refill, with the total number of refills including installation against PMUY connections crossing more than 40 crore.
While the clean fuel protects the users from the hazards of smoke inhalation, it also helps the poor from having to go to unsafe areas to collect firewood.
As per audit report, 1.98 lakh PMUY beneficiaries had an average annual consumption of more than 12 cylinders which seems improbable in view of their BPL status. Similarly, 13.96 lakh beneficiaries consumed 3 to 41 refills in a month.
