DBT: Panel to visit Mysore tomorrow

A high-level committee headed by Anil Bhandari, Director of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), will visit Mysore on April 23 to examine the pros and cons of the controversial Aadhaar-based direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme for LPG supply.

The committee is scheduled to hold a discussion with LPG dealers and customers in Mysore, where the scheme was first implemented on a pilot basis in the State.

But the Oil Ministry put the scheme on hold in March, following a Supreme Court order that it should not be made mandatory for subsidy schemes of the government.

Aadhaar-based scheme

The Aadhaar-based DBT scheme for LPG was also implemented in Tumkur, Dharwad and Udupi districts in the State.

Under the scheme, subsidy amount on every LPG refill will be directly credited to the customer’s Aadhaar-linked bank account.

Officials of the Unique Identification Authority of India, Department of Financial Services of the Ministry of Finance and Gas Authority of India Limited will be the committee’s members, besides ONGC director (Videsh).

It is also scheduled to visit Thiruvananthapuram and Hyderabad on April 22 and 24, respectively, for this purpose, sources said.