Dual prices for LPG cylinders back in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad: The dual pricing for domestic LPG cylinders will be in force from November 15, when the Centre will implement the modified Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme in Telangana and AP.  

The dual pricing will be in force till February 14, 2015.

During this period, consumers with Aadhaar-LPG-bank account seeding will have to purchase cylinders at the non-subsidised price of Rs 969 (as per the existing price, which is subject to revision every month) and they will receive the subsidy amount directly in their bank accounts. The present cost of a subsidised cylinder is Rs 444, and consumers will receive a subsidy of Rs 525 in their accounts.

Those without an Aadhaar-LPG-bank account link will have to pay only Rs 444 to buy a cylinder till February 14, 2015. After that all consumers, irrespective of Aadhaar-LPG-bank account seeding, will have to purchase non-subsidised cylinders at market price. Thus consumers without Aadhaar-LPG-bank account seeding will lose their subsidy. This system will be in force till May 14, 2015.

However, consumers who lose subsidy due to the absence of seeding will be eligible for claiming previous subsidy arrears provided they can get the seeding done by May 14. They can receive subsidy arrears after May 14.

Consumers who had already joined the DBT scheme last year and received subsidies in their bank accounts need not submit their Aadhaar, bank account numbers afresh at gas agencies. They will be automatically considered as eligible to receive subsidy amount in bank accounts.

“The dual pricing will be very confusing and will create problems for both gas agencies and consumers. It will be difficult to convince consumers with seeding to pay Rs 969 for a cylinder while those without seeding will pay only Rs 444. It would be better if uniform bills are issued to all till the seeding is done instead of adopting dual pricing,” said Mr D. Ashok Kumar, president of Greater Hyderabad LPG Dealers Associa-tion.

The modified DBT will be launched on November 15 in the three districts of Telangana, namely Hyderabad, RR and Adilabad and nine districts in AP, namely, Chittoor, Anantapur, Kadapa, Prakasam, Guntur, Krishna, East Godavari, West Goda-vari and Srikakulam.

While in Telangana, 81 per cent seeding with Aadhaar and 71 per cent seeding with bank accounts have been completed, it is 89 per cent and 78 per cent respectively in AP.

Meanwhile, the Oil marketing companies (OMCs) are also sending SMSes via mobile phones to consumers who have already completed Aadhaar-LPG-bank account seeding stating that, “You are enrolled to receive LPG subsidy in your bank account. You do not have to do anything again. You can check your enrolment status on www.mylpg.in.”