Centre may extend deadline for Aadhaar-LPG linking

Kochi: The Centre is actively considering extending the deadline for linking the Aadhaar card to LPG subsidy, said Union minister for food and consumer affairs Prof. K.V Thomas on Monday.

Though the Union government has extended the deadline till February, the Aadhaar card enrolment process and the procedure of linking it with LPG will not be completed then.

A meeting of bank officials and representatives of oil companies convened by the minister to discuss issues of supply of LPG cylinders  has decided to launch a helpdesk at the district collectorate from February 1. 

The consumers can submit complaints at the helpdesk , jointly be operated by oil companies, lead bank, district administration and Akshaya centres.  They also decided to organise special programmes to create awareness on providing subsidy on LPG cylinders directly to customers to their Aadhaar linked bank accounts.

The minister has instructed that strict action be taken on complaints against gas agencies. A meeting of residents’ associations will be convened on January 28 to discuss issues related to LPG supply.

As per official records, 61.16 per cent of the consumers in Ernakulam have already submitted Aadhaar card details to gas agencies, while 51.29 per cent consumers have already linked.