PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry Chief Minister’s LPG subsidy scheme, a novel scheme launched in July 2023 for all families holding ration cards in the UT, has so far benefitted just 52 % of the families.
As of March 31, 2024, just 1.75 lakh ration card holders have benefitted from the scheme, as Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry revealed during his address to the Assembly on July 31. This figure contrasts sharply with a total of 3.37 lakh ration card holders in the UT who have received benefits under other government schemes such as the free rice and Pongal gift hampers.
The scheme, which provides a subsidy of ₹300 per LPG cylinder for Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) ration card holders, and ₹150 for Above Poverty Line (APL) card holders, is capped at 12 cylinders of 14.2 kg per year. Despite its potential reach, the scheme has faced challenges in achieving widespread coverage.
An official cited multiple reasons for the low uptake. The ration cards and LPG consumers remain separate entities and linking them remains a challenge.
Many families remain unaware of the need for mandatory registration for LPG subsidy partly due to insufficient publicity. As a result, numerous families have not registered with the Department of Civil Supplies (DCS). Moreover, some find the registration process, especially via the mobile app, challenging, mistakenly assuming the subsidy would be credited automatically, as with other subsidies like the rice scheme.
Unlike the rice subsidy, which utilises Aadhaar-linked ration cards, the LPG subsidy relies on monthly detailed consumer data from gas agencies, an official told TNIE. This requirement of data each month complicates the process. The subsidy can only be disbursed when the gas agencies provide the consumer data.
Infact the registration gets materialised only when the gas agencies provide consumer data and it is available in the DCS's database; otherwise the data entered by the consumer for registration is not accepted by the app..
Issues have also raised from inconsistencies in the data sent by gas agencies, resulting in some families missing out on the subsidy. Often, consumers do not check if the subsidy has been credited after an LPG refill, leading to unnoticed errors. Unless a formal complaint is lodged with the DCS, it is not rectified.
Additionally, some ration card holders registered in Puducherry no longer reside in the UT and, therefore, do not avail of LPG cylinders in Puducherry.
With these challenges in mind, the Puducherry administration may need to ramp up awareness campaigns and streamline registration processes to ensure more eligible families benefit from the Chief Minister’s LPG subsidy scheme. Addressing the issues with consumer data from gas agencies and increasing user awareness about checking subsidy credits could also play a crucial role in improving the scheme's efficacy.