BackMumbai to become first metro to join govt direct cash transfer
UIDAI says subsidies to consumers of LPG cylinders in Mumbai will be linked to their Aadhaar numbers from January
Premium(Pradeep Gaur/Mint)
Mumbai: Subsidies to consumers of cooking gas cylinders in Mumbai will be linked to their Aadhaar numbers from January, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) that issues the numbers said on Wednesday.
If the plan bears fruit, Mumbai will become the first metro city to join the direct benefits transfer programme.
Under this, the Union government will transfer a cash subsidy of Rs481 to beneficiaries’ accounts as and when a cylinder is booked.
Currently, the government releases the subsidy up-front to oil marketing companies and hence consumers pay Rs425 per subsidised cylinder. Unsubsidised cooking gas cylinders in the city cost Rs906 each.
The scheme, called direct benefits transfer (DBT), has so far been launched in 54 districts covering 21.9 million consumers.
“Rs222 crore subsidy has been transferred through 5.3 million transactions into the bank accounts of the LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) consumers so far. The Government of India, ministry of petroleum & natural gas, has announced that LPG subsidy DBT would be further extended to 289 districts in the country in phase wise manner," UIDAI said in a press release.
The DBT roll-out started on 1 June in Wardha district in Maharashtra, North Goa district in Goa and Diu—part of Daman and Diu Union territory. From 1 September, Amravati district in Maharashtra and South Goa have also been included in the cash transfer programme.
Mumbai will be included in phase six of the current cycle together with eight other districts in Maharashtra—Bid, Solapur, Raigarh, Nanded, Washim, Hingoli, Yavatmal and Gadchiroli.
Seven districts in Gujarat—Rajkot, Narmada, Junagadh, Mahesana, Navsari, Ahmedabad and Valsad—are also part of the sixth phase.
“All available enrolment kits would be first assigned for enrolling LPG consumers only. The other family members of the LPG consumer are requested to enrol at a later date. Collectors are directed to set up special enrolment camps at LPG distributors office," UIDAI said.
UIDAI claims to have enrolled 70.2 million people in Maharashtra, or 63% of the state’s total population of 112.3 million. All the 243,000 people in Diu and 99% of the 1.46 million people in Goa have been enrolled, UIDAI said.
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