LPG subsidy in bank accounts in 18 districts from today

The cooking gas (LPG) consumers in 18 districts will get Rs. 435 in their bank accounts when they book an LPG cylinder from today onwards, as the government rolls out its ambitious Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme to cut its fuel subsidy.

Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dr. M. Veerappa Moily will launch the scheme in Tumkur in Karnataka, while Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Lakshmi Panabaka will start the scheme in Hyderabad.

The consumers in 18 districts will get Rs. 435 in their bank accounts every time they book for an LPG refill after this scheme is launched.

The 18 districts where the DBT for LPG is being launched from today, include Anantpur, Chittoor, East Godavari, Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy in Andhra Pradesh; Diu in Daman and Diu; North Goa; Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Una in Himachal Pradesh; Tumkur in Karnataka; Pathanamthitta and Wayand in Kerala; Wardha in Maharasthra; Pondicherry; SBS Nagar/Nawanshahar in Punjab and East Nimar (Khandwa) and Harda in Madhya Pradesh.

The Centre plans to extend the scheme to rest of the country before the end of 2013 after monitoring the results in the districts in which it will be started from today.

Dr. Moily had earlier last month said all Aadhaar-linked domestic LPG users would get the subsidy in advance in their bank accounts as they book the first subsidized cylinder even before delivery.

Dr. Moily asked LPG consumers to immediately get Aadhaar number and link LPG consumer number and bank account with the Aadhaar number.

The DBT scheme aims to curb leakages, prevent black-marketing and provide subsidy directly to consumers in their bank accounts.