LPG distributor to verify household at same address

The LPG distributor will have to physically verify premises if a customer or a new connection seeker claims that he is a different household at the same address by submitting an affidavit along with Know Your Customer form, an official of Indian Oil said here.

Citing an example, the official said if parents (not dependent on children) and his children are proved to be separate households with different kitchens at the same address then they can enjoy their subsidised LPG connections.

"LPG distributor will be physically verifying the claim of a customer that he is an independent household with different kitchen (for example staying at the first floor of house) and other households like his parents (living at ground floor) are not part of the household declared by the customer or a new connection seeker," he added.

In the declaration, customer will have to enclose a copy of a proof of address, PAN card or driving licence etc., and say that he is using a separate kitchen. Moreover, this declaration will have to be signed by the LPG distributor.

Oil marketing companies under the nationwide 'One Household and One LPG Connection' have been asking customers to surrender their extra or multiple connections. Customers have been given time till October 31 for surrendering their extra connections, otherwise erring consumers will be liable to face permanent disconnection and penal action under the Essential Commodities Act.

In this process, Oil companies including Indian Oil, BPCL and HPCL, are identifying customers who have multiple domestic LPG connections either in their names with same address or in different name with same address.

Official further said that the connections which had been blocked could be re-activated by surrendering extra connection after completion of KYC formalities.

The Centre had already put a restriction on the usage of subsidised cylinders to six in a year and beyond this limit, consumers will have to pay market rate for getting the supply.

In Punjab, there are 59 lakh registered LPG connections against 54 lakh households while in Chandigarh, there are 3.8 lakh cooking gas connections against 2.35 lakh households.

The official said LPG distributors will supply domestic subsidised cylinders to customers after making entry in domestic gas consumer card and there would also be a mention of subsidised cylinder in the cash memo.

He further said that non-domestic consumers like mess in schools, colleges hospitals etc., and mid-day meal scheme which were earlier getting domestic LPG cylinders will now get non-domestic exempt cylinders. Under non-domestic exempt cylinder category, excise duty will not be charged, he said.