Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinder distributors in the city still have a long way to go before bringing all consumers under the modified direct benefit transfer for LPG (DBTL) scheme. Only about 30 per cent of consumers have been enrolled under the scheme so far.
Customers complained that with the exception of a few agencies that were able to manage crowds and helped them fill forms and linked the accounts, many were still floundering. “It seems as if the agencies are not interested in the scheme. They say they cannot spend on additional manpower to enrol customers. Their services are half-hearted,” said K. Sankaran, a consumer from Madipakkam. Though a single form had been introduced recently, agencies were seen issuing the old set of four forms as they had been asked to exhaust them.
However, oil companies are trying to get agencies to work. They keep asking consumers to call in with their complaints or write to them so that action can be initiated. As part of efforts to enrol more consumers, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) on Sunday organised over 12 special camps in which gas agencies worked under the supervision of its officials.
Many residents of suburban areas, who visited the camps, said they were not clear about the procedures. IOCL officials at the venue helped residents to register their Aadhaar through an interactive voice response system. Many residents wanted to know if they needed to open fresh bank accounts for the purpose of subsidy transfer by the government.
