Aadhaar to be a must for women in BPL households to get free LPG connection

An Aadhaar card is a must for women living in Below Poverty Line (BPL) households to avail of free cooking gas (LPG) connection under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), the government said on Wednesday.

The government launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana last year to provide free LPG connections to 5 crore poor women in three years.

"Individual beneficiary desirous of availing the benefit under the scheme [PMUY] is hereby required to furnish proof of possession of Aadhaar number or undergo Aadhaar authentication," said a gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

The women under BPL who do not have Aadhaar number have been asked to apply for it by May 31. Once enrolled for Aadhaar, the beneficiary can apply for free LPG connection by providing the enrolment ID slip or a copy of such a request.

Such application will have to be accompanied by one of the government identification documents like bank passbook with photograph, voter ID, ration card, permanent account number (PAN), driving licence, kisan photo passbook or a certificate of identity having a photo issued by a gazetted officer on an official letterhead, the notification said.

The Ministry has asked state-owned fuel retailing firms to facilitate enrolment of beneficiaries for biometric identification number.

In October last, the government made Aadhaar mandatory for availing of cooking gas (LPG) subsidy. The government now gives 12 cylinders of 14.2 kg each at subsidised rates per household in a year. The subsidy on every cylinder is transferred in advance directly into bank accounts of individuals, who then buy the cooking fuel at market rates.

The Ministry notification issued on March 6 said that the use of Aadhaar as identity document for delivery of services or benefits or subsidies simplified the government delivery processes, brought in transparency and efficiency, and enabled beneficiaries to get their entitlements directly to them in a convenient and seamless manner. "Aadhaar obviates need for producing multiple documents to prove one's identity," it said.