The Pahal scheme where the LPG subsidy amount is directly credited to the consumer’s bank account has helped weed out over 1.35 lakh consumers in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts, whose connections are dormant.
“Most of these would be people who live outside the country and use the cylinders sparingly or those who use just one cylinder in six months or so. A small percentage would be those who have two connections in the same address and have not used the additional connection,” explained a source in an oil company.
In Chennai alone, one lakh consumers fall under this category. “The city has agencies from all the oil companies and has a large consumer base — 16.64 lakh as against 8.29 lakh in Tiruvallur and 9.40 lakh in Kancheepuram,” the official explained. Of the 1.53 crore LPG consumers in the State, 3 lakh were found dormant.
Such consumer IDs are frozen and will be reactivated if consumers provide their address proof and ID proof at the gas agency.
So far under Pahal, 1.20 crore or 80.33 per cent consumers in the State have become eligible for cash transfers.
In Chennai this has touched 77.54 per cent, in Tiruvallur 79.41 per cent and in Kancheepuram 81.61 per cent with oil companies and gas dealers reminding consumers repeatedly of the need to join the scheme.
So far, 1.20 crore consumers in the State have become eligible for cash transfers
