Breather for LPG users as eKYC deadline extended to August 31

Cooking gas households that missed the August 23 deadline to complete the e-KYC for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) connections have got a breather, with the last date extended till August 31.

The e-KYC or Aadhaar biometric authentication remains crucial for households, with the three oil marketing companies (OMCs) Indian Oil, HPCL and BPCL urging the consumers in recent weeks to complete the process to continue receiving LPG refills at domestic rate. “The new deadline is August 31. Those who are yet to complete the e-KYC will receive message mentioning the same,” a senior official in the oil industry, who did not wish to be named, said.

Of the 32.97 crore active domestic LPG consumers in the country, 1.26 crore are in Telangana, official statistics show. About 82% of the consumers in the State have already completed the e-KYC and the extension is expected to further increase the number.

Ahead of the Sunday deadline, cooking gas agencies in Hyderabad and many other parts of Telangana handled unusually high customers. Consumers also had the option of completing e-KYC through the respective company apps, a route chosen by many whose Aadhaar numbers were already linked to their LPG connections. Over the last few days, about 20,000 to 30,000 customers completed eKYC every day, across the State, the official said, assuring even that LPG refills would continue to be supplied ever after the August 31 deadline. However, the rate at which refills will be supplied to those who remain non-compliant with e-KYC requirements will depend on directions from the Petroleum Ministry, sources said, adding that no official communication has been issued yet.

Telangana LPG Distributors Association president Jagan Mohan Reddy said the extension of the deadline till August 31 had also been conveyed orally by OMC officials.