Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Aug 5: Oil marketing companies have warned that LPG consumers who fail to complete their e-KYC verification may face temporary disconnection of their gas connections.
Gas distributors have already informed consumers about the e-KYC requirement. However, a large number of customers are yet to complete the process. Consequently, August 15 has been fixed as the final deadline.
In this regard, BPCL has written to Karnataka's Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, following which the department has issued directions to all district deputy commissioners. If consumers fail to complete e-KYC by the stipulated date, their LPG connections will be temporarily disconnected until the verification is completed. The company has also warned that consumers who do not complete e-KYC will not receive LPG subsidy thereafter.
According to the company, e-KYC will help identify genuine beneficiaries and prevent the unauthorised sale of LPG cylinders.
Consumers who have voluntarily surrendered their LPG subsidy have also been instructed to complete e-KYC. Officials said there are no technical issues in completing the process.
Of 19,000 customers under one distributor, e-KYC verification is still pending for 4,200 consumers. Similarly, thousands of customers attached to various other distributors are yet to complete the process. A gas distributor in Mangaluru said that consumers residing abroad have been unable to complete e-KYC.
BPCL has directed its customers to complete e-KYC by August 15. The company has also sent a communication to the district deputy commissioners regarding the same. Consumers can complete the verification through their respective gas distributors.
Dakshina Kannada district deputy director of the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Hemalatha, said that only BPCL has so far issued such a communication.
BPCL Mangaluru division sales manager Darshith said that if e-KYC is not completed, the price of domestic LPG cylinders could increase to the level of commercial LPG cylinder rates.
How to complete e-KYC
Consumers can complete e-KYC through their LPG company's mobile application, such as HelloBPCL, or by visiting their gas distributor's office with their Aadhaar card. Similar to KYC procedures followed by banks, LPG consumers are also required to complete KYC verification.