DBTL scheme set for Jan 1
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 22 2014: DBTL scheme is set to be launched in the rest of the country on January 1, 2015.The same scheme was already launched in 54 districts of the country on November 15 this year.

Manipur with 5.5 lacs households approximately has about 3.5 lacs LPG domestic consumers.

Indian Oil is the only oil marketing company of LPG and has 57 LPG Indane Distributors in the State till date.

There are several States where Aadhaar penetration is very low.

Manipur is no exception.

In most cases the names in Aadhaar card, bank account & LPG consumer cards are not matching.

Therefore, the only way LPG consumers can avail of subsidy will be through bank account, according to Stephen C Guite, Dy Manager, LPG-S Imphal II LSA.

However, the bank seeding percentage (BTC) is only 5 per cent till date, which means only 5 per cent consumers would be able to avail domestic LPG subsidy.

The reason being, most of the consumers' names in bank passbooks & LPG cards are not matching and in some cases the consumer does not have a bank account or the same had expired.

Subsidy transfer is available to any operative savings bank account of the customer.

Basic Savings Bank Deposit (BSBD) account can be opened without any initial deposit and without the stipulation of minimum balance.

Such accounts are normally referred to as zero balance account.

Basic Savings Bank Deposit (BSBD) account can be opened in any scheduled commercial banks shown in the list available in the website http://www.petroleum.nic.in/dbtl/banks.htm.

The details on BSBD account opening are available on RBI website too.

In respect of savings bank account other than BSBD, minimum balance is required to be maintained as per the respective bank's policy.

Due advertisement has already been published in newspapers requesting all multiple connection holders to retain only one LPG connection and surrender other connections.

Availing multiple LPG connections is in contravention of the provisions of the LPG Control Order as amended in 2009, and liable for action under section 7 of the EC Act.

In case, a consumer has more than two or more single cylinder connections, they should surrender additional connections and convert single bottle connection which he/she wants to retain into a double bottle connection.

From January 1, 2015, domestic LPG cylinders will be sold to those domestic LPG consumers who have joined the scheme (CTC consumer) at Market Determined Price (does not include subsidy) from the date of launch of the scheme.

A one-time advance called Permanent Advance will be provided to every CTC consumer joining DBTL.

It is paid in the bank account of consumers as soon as they make the first booking for a cylinder after joining the scheme, prior to the delivery.

This advance ensures that LPG consumers have extra cash to pay for the first LPG cylinder at market price.

This Permanent Advance will be notified, from time to time and will remain fixed for a financial year.

It is fixed at Rs 568 for the year.

LPG consumers who have joined DBTL scheme would be known as CTC consumers and they will receive the Permanent Advance immediately after their first booking post launch of scheme in their district.

Other customers too will receive Permanent Advance on booking their first cylinder post launch of scheme and will be supplied cylinders at the market price as and when they become CTC.

The subsidy amount will be transferred to their bank account.

For new consumers the quota of subsidised cylinders will be on prorata basis for the financial year based on the date of their becoming an LPG consumer.

As and when they become CTC, they will receive Permanent Advance on booking their first cylinder post launch of scheme and will be supplied cylinders at the market price.

It takes about 2-3 days to transfer the subsidy in the bank account after booking the first cylinder post notification of the district for DBTL launch.

If the consumer has made the booking in last 2-3 days he/she need to wait for 1-2 more days to check for the subsidy in the bank account.

However, if he/she still has not received the subsidy, the consumer needs to log a complaint at DBTL Grievance Cell (Toll free number 18002333555) .

All consumers who have joined the scheme till 01st January 2015 will start getting LPG cylinders at market price and cash in their bank accounts.

Between 01st January and 31st March 2015 (three months), any LPG consumer who does not join the scheme will continue to get the cylinder at subsidized price as they are getting it today.

Between 1st April 2015 and 30th June 2015 (three months), those LPG consumers who still do not join the scheme will start getting the cylinder at market price and cash admissible will be parked with the OMCs.

If they join the scheme within this 3 month period, the parked cash would be sent to their bank account, else it will lapse.

From 01st July 2015, consumers who have still not joined the scheme will get the cylinder at market price, and cash subsidy will not be admissible.

Incidentally, LPG refills are readily available at grey markets across the State at the exhorbitant price of Rs 900 to Rs 1200 per refill even though distribution of subsidised refills has been running into backlog of two months and longer.

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