The government has intensified measures to make LPG distribution and subsidy transfers more efficient, transparent, and inclusive, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply to a Starred Question.
He noted that the implementation of initiatives like the PAHAL (DBTL) scheme, Aadhaar-based verification, biometric authentication, and the weeding out of ineligible or duplicate connections have significantly strengthened the system of transfer of targeted subsidies.
The minister told that the key reforms include the nationwide rollout of the PAHAL scheme for direct subsidy transfer into bank accounts with SMS confirmations, implementation of the Common LPG Database Platform (CLDP) to weed out duplicate connections, Aadhaar-based biometric authentication for accurate beneficiary identification, and the removal of ineligible consumers, including 8.49 lakh PMUY connections terminated since inception and 12,000 inactive connections removed this year under a new SOP.
The government has also focused on enhancing Aadhaar compliance, with over 92% of active LPG consumers having Aadhaar seeded in the OMC database, and has introduced a Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) to verify delivery.
To regulate the distribution of LPG, Puri informed that the government has notified the “Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order, 2000.”
Additionally, OMCs have formulated “Marketing Discipline Guidelines” to be adhered to by LPG distributors. These guidelines provide for penal action against distributors found indulging in malpractice.
In all established cases of irregularities in the marketing of LPG, action is taken as per the provisions of the Marketing Discipline Guidelines or the Distributorship Agreement.
The minister stated that several studies have been conducted to assess the impact of the DBTL–PAHAL scheme. A comprehensive third-party evaluation by the Research and Development Initiative (RDI) found that more than 90% of respondents were satisfied with the subsidy reimbursement mechanism.
The report recommends strengthening the subsidy payment infrastructure and grievance redressal systems, and improving targeting by limiting subsidies to economically weaker sections.
It also notes the need for sustained safety awareness and wider outreach through local language and mass media campaigns to ensure safe usage and better adoption of LPG. Based on these findings, Puri said that steps have been taken to further improve the efficiency, transparency, and outreach of the PAHAL scheme.