The process of making Aadhaar linking (e-KYC) mandatory for domestic cooking gas connections across the country is in full swing. State-owned oil company Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has instructed distributors to complete the Aadhaar linking of all customers with gas by this month. Although no official deadline has been announced yet, distributors are under pressure to finish the process soon.

Why Is Aadhaar Linking Being Made Mandatory?

In October last year, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stated that there was no fixed deadline for linking Aadhaar with gas connections. However, the situation has changed. Now, oil marketing companies have instructed customers to link their Aadhaar and are pressuring distributors to complete the process.

Aadhaar Linking Status in West Bengal

Currently, about 65% of customers in West Bengal have linked their Aadhaar with their gas connections. However, many are yet to complete the process. Distributors fear that it will be difficult to meet the deadline due to the remaining number of unlinked connections.

Distributors’ Concerns

Bijan Biswas, Vice President of the All India LPG Distributors Federation, said, “Many customers have not yet linked their Aadhaar with gas connections. This has put us under a lot of pressure. Indian Oil has clearly instructed that Aadhaar linking must be done as soon as possible. For elderly customers, arrangements are being made to complete the linking process at home.”

What Happens If Aadhaar is Not Linked?

If a customer does not link Aadhaar, they may face the following problems:

  • Loss of Gas Subsidy: The subsidy may be completely stopped.
  • Bank Account Issues: If the bank linkage is lost, the subsidy money may not be credited.
  • Booking Problems: Customers may face issues while booking new gas cylinders or getting a new connection.

Status of Other Oil Companies

Indian Oil has not made any official statement regarding this. However, Bharat Petroleum has not issued any instructions yet. Sukomal Sen, Senior Vice President of the Bharat Gas Association, confirmed that no mandatory orders have been given by their company.

Important Message for Customers

Distributors are advising customers to link their Aadhaar with their gas connections as soon as possible. Those whose bank accounts are not linked may lose their subsidy benefits if they do not act quickly.