Hardeep Singh Puri, the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, recently addressed a complaint regarding long queues at LPG agencies. The complaint was made by the Leader of the opposition of Karnataka State Assembly, V.D. Satheesan, who wrote to the Union Minister, drawing his attention to the issue.
The Leader requested the Minister to take the required measures to reduce the crowd at LPG stations. He stated that due to the UIDAI LPG-Aadhaar linking requirement for Know Your Customer (KYC) purposes, people have been ‘mustering’ at the gas agencies, causing a great deal of inconvenience due to this LPG scheme.
The letter addressed to the Union Minister also shed light on the women in plight due to this process. Since most of the LPG connection holders are women, especially in the rural areas where the Ujjwala Yojana, a government gas scheme, is promoted, there were long queues of women outside the gas agency.
The position of elderly and ill people was also highlighted in light of this situation. The Leader of Opposition also urged the Minister to take alternative steps to remedy the situation and suggested that the KYC be done through Akshaya Centres.
The Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas took to ‘X’, a social media platform, while replying to the letter addressed to him. He clarified why such KYC is being done and informed that it is aimed at removing bogus beneficiaries of commercial cylinders, often registered by gas agencies.
The Minister clarified that there is no last date to apply for LPG Aadhaar linking online, and the same has been going on for the past 8 months. In a strong-armed reply, the Minister said that, as reassured and confirmed by the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), there is no ‘mustering’ of crowds outside agencies. He also informed that the OMCs shall be releasing a press notice reaffirming that no crowd shall be mustered and no inconvenience shall be caused to anyone.
Puri also guided the customers about how they can do the KYC verification for LPG cylinders on their own. He explained the process as well as the rationale of UIDAI gov in LPG cylinder disbursal.
Let us learn in depth about e-KYC for LPG cylinders, including information on viewing the LPG Aadhaar linking status.
Read More: e-KYC For LPG New Connection | Apply For LPG Gas e-KYC
Last Date To Apply For LPG Gas e-KYC
e-KYC and Aadhaar card authentication have been undertaken by the government to exclude ‘bogus’ or illegitimate users of LPG cylinders. Through this process, the beneficiary is verified, and the cylinder is delivered in his name after the LPG KYC process is complete.
The Indane Gas Aadhaar link online process has been put into action to ensure that only genuine customers get gas cylinders. It is a centralised database generation method so that the government has a depository of every genuine customer. The eKYC process is being implemented by OMCs in furtherance of the objectives.
Read More: How Can You Book LPG Through WhatsApp? Indane, HP & Bharat Gas
What Are The Benefits Of eKYC For LPG?
The benefits of eKYC for the LPG scheme are laid down below in brief points for one’s better understanding:
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KYC being done in an electronic format is convenient and fast. It entitles the customers to verify their details online and complete several other functions as well, like viewing the Gas Aadhaar link check in a hassle-free manner. This not only helps people by allowing them to do various functions from home, but also helps the authorities in streamlining the operations and freeing up staff for other important things like gas cylinder deliveries and customer service.
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The KYC process removes bogus or fraudulent users by verifying each person against whose name a cylinder is booked. The online process also helps in viewing the LPG Aadhaar link status from the comfort of one’s home.
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The eKYC method is cost-efficient and saves money as it is done in a paperless format with less investment. Neither the customer nor the government has to spend a lot of money on this process
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The linking process helps in increasing transparency in the system, which is extremely important for subsidy schemes wherein authenticating an individual’s identity is necessary for checking their eligibility. This not only makes the system stronger but also away from manipulation by distributors and other middlemen.
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Before digitisation, many individuals managed to get their hands on more than one LPG connection; the new digitised mechanism eliminates this by linking one’s Aadhaar with the LPG. The new mechanism aims to eliminate duplicate accounts created under the same household, using which agencies used to divert LPG connections for commercial gain.
To know the details about e-KYC Process of LPG cylinders visit Jaagruk Bharat detailed article on the same.
Conclusion
This instance has brought to light one thing, and that is the importance of clear and smooth communication between the authorities and the general public. While the clarification about there being no last date for LPG-Aadhaar linking was made, many citizens faced a lot of difficulty due to the miscommunication.
At the same time, the government of India has put special emphasis on the linking procedure of one’s LPG cylinder to their respective Aadhaar cards, primarily to reduce and eventually eliminate the instances of fraudulent or duplicate LPG beneficiaries and create and maintain an accurate and centralised database. The process of linking has been introduced to promote transparency and eliminate the middleman's interference in between so that the benefits provided by the government in the form of subsidies can be provided to people in need.
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