No deadline for LPG-Aadhaar linking: Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri’s clarification came in reply to a letter by Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan.

New Delhi: Oil marketing companies are undertaking e-KYC Aadhar authentication for LPG customers to remove bogus users but the government has not put any deadline to complete this process, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday.

Puri’s clarification came in reply to a letter by Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan. In a letter addressed to the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Satheesan voiced concerns over the inconvenience caused to customers, especially women and elderly people due to the e-KYC process.

In his reply to the Congress leader's letter, the Union Minister said the oil marketing companies have put in place multiple options for completion of e-KYC process. “There is no deadline for this activity either by oil marketing companies or the Central Government. It is also clarified by OMCs that there is no 'mustering' of customers at showrooms of LPG distributorships,” the minister wrote on social media platform X.

Puri said the purpose of eKYC Aadhaar authentication is to “remove bogus customers against whose name commercial cylinders are often booked by certain gas distributors.” This process is in place for more than 8 months now, the minister added.

Linking of LPG gas connection with Aadhaar number is mandatory to avail government subsidies related to cooking gas.

According to the minister, a customer can either get the e-KYC process done through mobile apps of respective oil marketing companies, visiting distributor showrooms or at their doorstep by sharing details with the LPG cylinder delivery personnel.

In this process, the LPG delivery personnel while delivering LPG cylinders to customers verifies credentials. Delivery personnel using their mobile phone captures the Aadhaar credentials of the customer through an app. Customer receives an OTP which is used to complete the process.

Customers can also approach the distributor showroom at their convenience. Alternatively, Customers can also install OMC Apps and complete the e KYC on their own, the minister said.

Underlying the hardships faced by the common people in the process, Satheesan suggested adoption of alternate methods like establishment of specific stations for ward-level mustering. “As you are aware, the majority of the LPG (connection) holders are women, and this stipulation has forced them to stand in long lines in front of gas agencies for hours to get the mustering completed. This has severely impacted their day-to-day lives. The elderly population and the bedridden are also in dire straits due to this decision,” Satheesan noted in the letter.

However, Puri clarified that there is no "mustering" of customers at showrooms of LPG distributorships. “Further, Oil companies are also issuing a clarification to press in this matter for assuring the customers and ensuring that there is no hardship or inconvenience to any genuine consumer,” the minister said.