We are DBTL compliant: K'taka Bank

Refuting the LPG distributors claims that their bank is not DBTL compliant for processing LPG subsidy scheme applications, Karnataka Bank has stated that the bank is on the list of Aadhaar-enabled banks for the Aadhaar Payment Bridge system.

In an official statement to Deccan Herald, Karnataka Bank Chief Manager (PRO) Srinivas Deshpande said that the bank had also gone live for the non-Aadhaar based system for LPG  consumers, wherein the LPG number is linked to the SB accounts of the LPG consumers of the bank.

“The Bank has been live with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for Aadhaar based Payment (APBS) since March 2013 and more than five lakh bank accounts are already seeded with Aadhaar numbers and mapped with the NPCI. Bank is receiving payments of LPG subsidy and other government payments to the Aadhaar enabled accounts. As on date, more than Rs 38.54 crore (6.42 lakh transactions) has been received for credit of Aadhaar enabled accounts of customers with the bank,” the official statement from the bank read. The bank has also issued instructions to all its branches to accept the LPG ID details of customers (non-aadhaar based ), officials added.

However, the distributors have not yet got official intimation about the same from the oil companies.

They said that they were even advised by oil companies to keep applications (for LPG subsidy) of customers in Karnataka Bank in abeyance. There was no official confirmation about the bank being DBTL compliant, according to the distributors. Capt B L Lingaraju, Senior Vice President, All-India LPG Distribution Federation, said subject to an official circular from the oil companies about the bank being DBTL compliant, the distributors would include it in the list.