New norms come after many households in city surrender additional permit
Here’s some relief to large households worried about restrictions on LPG connections. They need not surrender the additional connection.
As per the new norms announced by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on Friday, consumers can retain multiple connections but will have to shell out more for the cylinders. They will be priced thrice as much as the subsidised refill.
In its instructions, the Ministry asked oil companies — IOC, BPCL and HPCL — to include additional connections in the non-subsidised non-domestic exempted category (NDEC).
The consumer will not have to go through additional Know Your Customer (KYC) formalities for the extra connection.
In Chennai, each subsidised refill is priced at about Rs. 400. Cylinders (14.2 kg) under the additional connections will cost a little over Rs. 1,200, the price at which refills are supplied to government hospitals, educational institutions, hostels and orphanages.
The relaxation in norms applies to multiple connections blocked or likely to be blocked by oil companies. Such households, after fulfilling KYC formalities and completing de-duplication norms, would be eligible for six subsidised cylinders, annually, against one of the connections.
The new norms come even as thousands of households with multiple connections surrendered the additional ones in response to the government’s recent ‘one household, one connection’ announcement. The oil companies also blocked refill supplies to such consumers.
The Gas Control Order issued under the Essential Commodities Act, which the Ministry had cited to underscore the norm, applied to subsidised cylinders alone, said sources.
It is not clear if households that surrendered multiple connections could now get them back, if they so desired, since a new connection means a higher security deposit. A decision in that regard is pending, the sources said.
Instant new connections
The Ministry asked oil companies to issue new domestic connections instantly, but such consumers will be supplied with non-subsidised domestic cylinders initially. In Chennai, it costs about Rs. 880. Following verification of documents by oil companies, the consumers will be eligible for subsidised cylinders.
The consumers must not already be in possession of LPG connections from other public-sector oil companies. There is no restriction on the number of non-subsidised cylinders a customer can purchase.
A press release issued by IOC on behalf of the three oil marketing companies said transfer of LPG connection to family members during lifetime would hence be permitted, subject to certain conditions. The same security deposit as in the original subscription voucher would do in such cases.
For transfer of LPG connections to legal heir in case of death of consumers, for which legal heir/succession certificate is required now, the Ministry said, henceforth, a self-declaration by the next of kin and death certificate would suffice.
It has also been decided to permit regularisation of LPG connection in someone else’s name, with or without original documents, subject to adherence to certain conditions. The oil companies have come out with detailed guidelines on regularisation of connections and details are available on their websites.
This congress govt has not promised anything on LPG connection/subsidy
during their last General election manifesto. General Electtion is
hardly 6 months away. Congress Party first remove this 6 cylinders Norms
first. and then let them win the election on a promise, that they will
bring back and restrict 6 cylinder limit.
People have not forgotten that Price of Onion has brougt down Delhi
Govt. not long ago. We the middle class will definitly teach a lesson
for CONGRESS. I WISH, ALL READERS WILL ACCEPT THIS CHALLANGE.
Why not the government just transfer the money to accounts of people on the basis of
Aadhar cards and make available all LPG cylinders at market price. This
will decrease the incidence of black-marketing and, like the PDS system, just
provide the people money that is the subsidy on six cylinders!
Every fuel is subsidised in India. The rich use diesel cars. The not so rich use petrol cars and two-wheelers. The poor use gas only for cooking. Government should have controlled this for diesel, petrol, gas, kerosene in the order. It is like putting duty on water and alcohol as a duty-free commodity. Politicians must be thinking in differently than the common man like me and the ones who are likely to read this.
The BPL Families will go for backward integration. They cannot afford the high cost in cooking gas. Now, it's time to look for other alternatives such as kerosene and wood for cooking.but the news will give a relief to those people who have purchased from black market. Still, this will be another reason for increase in price and regulation.
It is good begining.
But can the oil companies-IOC/HPCL/BPCL etc ensure that when: new
connections or/on work transfer to another city/or to another location
in same city in India, we need to only PAY FOR GAS CYLINDERS as per
rules or are we to forcefully buy a new gas stove(DUD ISI TRADEMARK
)as told by gas supplier? This requires a specific answer as many gas
suppliers are enforcing this Rules now-how to make money is their
policy.
Some hard rules will have to be brought to GOI 's focus and awaken
them on priority.Hope all join in our protest now????VENKAT
LPG alone is not subsidised. Petrol and diesel are also sold at
subsidised rates. Can the Govt. stipulate the one-family-one-car norms?
The loss incurred in petrol/diesel subsidy is manifold higher than LPG
subsidy. Subsidised LPG is meant for household use only. But petrol and
diesel subsidy is for everyone including industrial and commercial
users. Hence without enforcing any norms on petrol/diesel user
eligibility, the orders controlling the supply of household LPG is
highly misplaced.
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