Mysore ready, but DBT launch postponed again

The roll out of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for LPG in Mysore district has been postponed by a month, to July 1. It was earlier scheduled for a June 1 launch.

In a release today, Deputy Commissioner C Shikha said, following a direction from the Ministry of Oil and Gas the postponement has been made considering the Code of Conduct now in force on account of the Periyapatna Assembly election in the district. Election in Periyapatna, which had been deferred following the death of the BJP candidate, took place on May 28 and counting of votes will take place there tomorrow.

She once again appealed to those LPG consumers who have not handed over copies of their Aadhar number, bank pass book showing details of the IFSC code, account number and name, and LPG card number to submit the same. Drop boxes were provided at the gas supplying agencies for their convenience.

Mapping had been done of those who had already submitted the documents to their gas dealers. Their details had been updated on the websites www.indane.co.in, www.hindustanpetroleum.com, www.ebharatgas.com and they can verify the same on the websites transparency portal. More details can be had from the concerned gas companies' field officers also, the deputy commissioner said.

According to sources here, DBT will be launched from Tumkur, one of the three districts selected for the purpose in Karnataka, instead of Mysore. Besides Mysore and Tumkur, Dharwad is the other district where it will roll out. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to launch the ambitious scheme of the Centre and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Union Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily are likely to participate.

The Prime Minister had seen a special telecast from Mysore of the LPG distribution operation two months back and expressed his satisfaction over the way LPG distribution was taking place in a systematic manner. An official of the Venus Gas Agencies, an LPG supplier in Mysore, which has turned out to be a model one in serving LPG customers, told Business Standard, "We have been receiving documents from 200-300 consumers everyday. However, we are yet to receive documents from many consumers."

Pointing out that the exercise to give effect to the DBT scheme has been on for the past one year, he said Mysore had the distinction of being the first city to have the pilot project. It was taken up Venus and successfully executed and this had won appreciation from top levels and abroad too. Besides, a special telecast for the Prime Minister of the LPG distribution operation by the Venus in Mysore by a Doordarshan team, a Canadian broadcasting team too had telecast it.

"Mysore has come to occupy a unique place in DBT scheme roll out," he said adding, "We are ready for the its roll out."