Rs 7,024 crore transferred under LPG cash subsidy scheme

NEW DELHI: Government today said that it has transferred Rs 7,024 crore as cash subsidies to LPG consumers since mid-November 2014 under the PAHAL scheme.

"As of March 4, 2015, 81.5 per cent active LPG consumers (11.83 crore) have joined the scheme. An amount of Rs 7,024 crore has been transferred since November 15, 2014 through 19.81 crore transactions," Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

He was replying to a question on Direct Cash Transfer subsidy scheme.

Government re-launched the Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG consumer (DBTL) scheme PAHAL in 54 districts of the country on November 15, 2014 and in remaining districts on January 1, 2015, covering 15.34 crore LPG consumers, he said.

LPG consumers who join the PAHAL scheme will get LPG cylinders at market price and receive LPG subsidy as per their eligibility directly into their bank accounts, Sinha said.

Further, he said Aadhaar is a preferred mode but not mandatory for getting subsidy benefit in government's welfare schemes.

"No eligible beneficiary is denied his/her due for want of Aadhaar. Enrolment of Aadhaar is going on across the country. Various states are using Aadhaar in accurately targeting the intended beneficiaries and for deduplication," he added.