5.10.16

Aadhaar mandatory for cooking gas subsidies

LPG is the first service for which the Aadhaar number has been made mandatory , with people availing of cooking gas cylinders being given until November 30 to enrol for a UID number. Oil companies are to facilitate enrolment for consumers who do not have Aadhaar card.
After LPG, the government intends to bring public distribution system, rural employment guarantee scheme, pensions, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and national scholarships under the Aadhaar net. The move is intended to reduce fraud and effect savings for the central government. The step is seen as significant as there are 14 crore registered LPG users. If one connection per family with an average of four members is seen as the norm, the move will help target subsidies impacting more than 50 crore individuals. The petroleum ministry issued the notification mandating Aadhaar on Monday following the enactment of a new law which allowed the government to direct the use of the UID number to avail of any benefits that requires spending from the central exchequer.
In areas where there are no centres to get an Aadhaar card, oil marketing companies have been asked to provide the facility. The use of Aadhaar for LPG subsidy has not been mandated in Assam, Meghalaya and J&K.

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