Consumers must remember to link their LPG connection either with their Aadhaar number or bank accounts by March 2015 to receive cash subsidy under the direct benefit transfer for LPG (cooking gas).

The Centre launched the scheme in 54 districts (none from Bihar) on November 15 and it would be launched by January 1, 2015, in the rest of the country. Different types of forms would cater to people with Aadhaar numbers and those without numbers.

“To avail the benefits of direct benefit transfer, a consumer would have to become cash transfer (CT) compliant first and for this, consumers would have to submit Form I in the bank providing Aadhaar number. Consumers can also provide their Aadhaar number to LPG distributor using Form 2,” Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), Patna, general manager R.S. Dahiya told reporters.

“If the consumer does not have Aadhaar number, he/she can either give bank details to the LPG distributor in Form IV or give the LPG identity number to the bank using Form III,” added Dahiya, implying that consumers could receive cash subsidy directly in their accounts even if they do not have Aadhaar number. “But as and when they get Aadhaar number, they would have to shift to Aadhaar-based cash subsidy transfer,” said Dahiya.

Consumers, who are not CT compliant, would get a three-month grace period (January to March, 2015) during which they would get the cylinders at subsidised rate, he added. After the grace period, consumers would get an additional three-month parking period during which consumers would have to buy cylinders at the market rate. If the consumer joined the scheme within the parking period, the subsidy as per entitlement and consumption during the said period would be transferred to his/her bank account, Dahiya said.