LPG subsidy: Income proof being sought
Recently the Union Government decided to stop subsidised LPG cylinders for all those with an annual family income above Rs 10 lakh.
BENGALURU: It seems there is no end to the documentation to get uninterrupted LPG cylinder supply. After RR number matching, enrollment of Aadhar Card with bank account details to join direct benefits transfer (DBT) scheme, now the oil companies want their customers to file another set of documents. This time related to the annual income of the beneficiaries.
According to the LPG customers from the city since last few days they are receiving text messages from oil firms seeking information regarding their annual income. The message states that “If your/spouse income is above Rs 10 lakh, LPG subsidy is not admissible as per government directives. If so, please submit a declaration to your distributor or at mylpg.in”
Under the DBT scheme, oil firms are directly crediting the subsidy amount to the bank account of the consumers for 12 cylinders, each weighing 14.2 kg, a year. Recently the Union Government decided to stop subsidised LPG cylinders for all those with an annual family income above Rs 10 lakh.
No clarity, say dealers
According to the dozens of LPG distributors from the city, it is not clear whether all customers need to file their income details or only those having more than '10 lakh a year. “Consumers have informed us about text messages. But those who have income over and above '10 lakh per year are not coming forward to either give up the subsidy or file an income statement. Most people are providing false information and it is impossible to scrutinize the documents they submit. Otherwise the Union Government must make it mandatory for all LPG customers to submit their PAN card details and Form 16,” said a dealer. An officer from a public sector oil company said the process was still on. Regarding the issue of the possibility of submitting false income proofs, he said they were awaiting directions from the higher ups. “In some cases the customer may be a house wife and not have a PAN card. Then it is very difficult to arrive at a decision on the family income” he said.