Centre warns LPG consumers with multiple connections of supply cut

Asked to submit Know Your Customer forms by December 31

According to oil marketing companies, only those with multiple connections should submit the KYC details. They have identified more than two crore households with multiple connections, taken at the same addresses under different names.

The Union government has warned domestic LPG consumers using multiple connections that they will lose their cylinder supply and will have to buy the cooking gas at commercial rates if they fail to submit their Know Your Customer (KYC) forms by December 31. The supply of cylinders to those with multiple LPG connections “who fail to furnish the KYC forms by the prescribed date [December 31] will be converted suo motu into the non-domestic exempted categories (NDEC) rate connections,” Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Panabaaka Lakshmi told the Lok Sabha on Friday.

In September, the government decided to restrict the subsidised LPG supply to six cylinders of 14.2 kg a household a year. Any additional cylinder is to be bought at the non-subsidised rate. The subsidised LPG costs Rs. 410.50 a cylinder in Delhi and an additional cylinder for domestic use will cost Rs. 895.50. A 14.2-kg cylinder for non-domestic use is charged the commercial rate, at Rs. 1,156.

Further, in her written reply, Ms. Lakshmi said the last date for fulfilling the KYC formalities was extended to December 31 from November 30.

According to oil marketing companies, only those with multiple connections should submit the KYC details. They have identified more than two crore households with multiple connections, taken at the same addresses under different names. The companies are implementing the one-household, one-connection policy and have asked consumers to voluntarily give up additional connections.

In the KYC form, consumers will have to give their name, date of birth, father’s name, mother’s name, spouse name and address with pincode, with an option to provide bank details. With the filled-in forms, they have to submit self-attested photocopies of address and ID proof. New connections will be issued after completion of the KYC formalities and multiple connection check.

“All LPG consumers are eligible for three subsidised domestic cylinders during the remaining part of the current year ending March 31, 2013. There is no restriction on the number of domestic non-subsidised cylinders consumers can avail themselves of, beyond the three subsidised refills, to meet their genuine demand,” a senior official of an oil marketing company said.

From April 1, consumers can avail themselves of six domestic subsidised refills in a financial year, though the government has indicated that it is reviewing the cap and will take a decision in the next few days.