Direct Benefit Transfer to the eligible for the subsidy of cooking gas will be launched from 1st June.  The scheme in fact has to start in 20 districts but due to the Assembly and Parliament by-polls in 2 districts, only 18 districts will get DBT from 1st June.  Those 2 districts of Mysore in Karnataka and Mandi in Himachal Pradesh will run the DBT scheme after a month.  

Panabaka Lakshmi, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister will start the scheme in Hyderabad on 1st June.  Government will extend this scheme in the rest of the districts in the country after the trial run in these 20 districts.  These 20 districts are selected on the number of Aadhar enrolments.  The consumers of the cooking gas under this scheme will get the subsidy of Rs.435/- directly credited to their Bank accounts and the consumer has to pay for the gas at the market price.

The consumers in these 20 districts are given time up to 31st August to get their Aadhar and Bank accounts linked.  From 1st September onwards those who have not done linking of Aadhar and Bank accounts will have to bear the full amount for the gas booked at market price without subsidy.  

This scheme safe guards the Government from bearing subsidy on other consumers than eligible for it and after implementation in the country completely, the Government estimates a saving of up to Rs.10000 crores.  At present subsidy is paid on cooking gas cylinders excepting the commercial ones.  But the cooking gas is going to black market that is making Government to incur loss on that.  Now with the implementation of DBT on cooking gas, deserved consumers will get the benefit and payment of the subsidy amount on others will be curtailed.

(AW-SriJa)