MYSORE: After a six-month delay, the direct cash transfer (DCT) scheme will be launched in Mysore on Monday. Deputy commissioner Ramegowda confirmed that the kickoff will be a low-key affair without a formal opening.
Under this scheme, the cooking-gas consumer’s Aadhaar number will be mapped to his bank account along with his gas consumer number. Whenever the consumer books an LPG refill, she has to pay the agency the full amount for the cylinder, and the subsidy quotient will be transferred to her bank account within a day of refill booking.
Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district and Mysore will be the 19th and 20th districts to launch the scheme, which seeks to check diversion of highly subsidized fuel. The Centre chose 18 districts, including Tumkur where oil minister M Veerappa Moily launched the scheme, in the first phase.
Thanks to its high Aadhaar coverage, Mysore will see a maximum number of cash transfers. The city has 5,01,927 consumers from 28 distribution points, and as many as 40% of the consumers have paired their Aadhaar number with their bank accounts for LPG benefits. The average Aadhaar coverage in 19 other districts is just 20%.
Consumers, who haven’t got an Aadhaar number or attached it to their bank account, have a two-month period to get their papers in order. The subsidy component is applicable to first 9 cylinders in a year.
The oil companies must update their software to facilitate the direct cash transfer scheme. S A Mahesh, an IOC distributor, said they didn’t accept online bookings on Sunday as the software was being upgraded. Mehul Patel, an HPCL distributor, said they have ramped up the software for the launch.
