Direct Benefit Transfer of lPG subsidy scheme is yet to gain momentum in Jharkhand where only 44 per cent of lPG consumers have been seeded till date under the scheme. Indian Oil Corporation limited (IOCl) — one of the major lPG distributor firms — is making all its efforts to make the consumers aware about the scheme also giving them the liberty to submit their bank account details for those who do not have their AADHAAR numbers.
“We are not getting enthusiastic response from the people as expected. It is now their responsibility to get their lPG connection connected with AADHAAR numbers before December 31 or the consumers themselves will be the sufferers,” said Chief Area Manager of IOCl in Jharkhand Uday Kumar.
“We have been trying our best to spread awareness about the DBTl, but we are not getting proper response from the people in this regard. Only 44 per cent of the customers have been linked with their bank accounts till date, which itself is a not an enthusiastic figure for us,” said Kumar.
lPG Dealers Association General Secretary Ravi Bhatt also asserted that the pace of the drive was not satisfactory even in Ranchi with only 45 per cent of the lPG subscribers being seeded their connections with their bank accounts. “We expect that the rush for seeding is likely to gain momentum during the last hours,” said Bhatt. People are coming up for enquiries regarding the scheme but are hesitant to get their bank accounts seeded with the lPG connections,” added Bhatt.
Bhatt claimed that all confusions regarding the scheme have been removed by the IOCl in order to encourage the consumers to get their connections connected though their ADHAAR cards. Still the consumers unleash their anger with the lPG distributors for harassing them by demanding new papers every six months, he added.
Bhatt also complained that the drive has put extra pressure on limited manpower engaged with the distributors without getting any extra benefits from the company. “The IOCl officials are constantly in touch with the dealers holding meetings regularly so that each and every lPG consumer gets seeded with the DBTl scheme,” he said.
Under the ambitious Direct Benefits Transfer of lPG (DBTl) scheme, the oil marketing companies (OMCs) will not be selling cylinders at the subsidised rate from April 1 next year. All lPG customers will have to buy the cylinders at the market rate from an OMC and the cash subsidy will be directly credited to one’s bank account.
The scheme was re-launched in the 54 districts of 11 states on November 15 in the first phase and the government at the centre has decided to launch it for the rest of the country from January 1.