From July 15, apply online for LPG connections

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru: July 11, 2015, DHNS: Starting July 15, new domestic connections for Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) can be obtained online in the State.

Oil-marketing companies (OMCs) IOC, HPC and BPC are set to launch an online system wherein people will get new LPG connections sanctioned within 48 hours.

All necessary documents can be scanned and submitted online, and there is no need to visit the local distributor for the connection. However, delivery of new connection will depend on the waiting list, said IOC Assistant General Manager (LPG) Abhijit Dey.

As per the system, the customer will have to fill in personal details on a form requesting a connection. The form will be made available on the official websites of all OMCs. The consumer then has to furnish name, address, email ID and mobile phone number.

After successful verification, the company will email a link to the KYC (Know Your Customer) form. The customer has to fill it up and upload a scanned copy of proof of identity and residential address, along with a passport-sized photograph, said Dey.

The company will then send a mail and an SMS confirming whether the connection has been sanctioned within 48 hours. The customer will also be informed about the local distributing agency and the waiting list.

“Once the waiting list is allotted, the customer will have to choose what items she or he requires along with the cylinder and regulator, like stove, rubber tube, apron, trolley and lighter. While the cylinder and regulator are mandatory, the other items are optional,” said Dey.

It is not mandatory to submit a ration card to obtain a new connection. Customers will also be given an option of  selecting “Give It Up” (give up the subsidy towards supply of domestic LPG refill cylinder). Besides, customers have to furnish details of their bank, Aadhaar-linked or otherwise. This will help the company register him or her under the Direct Benefit Transfer system.

If a customer refuses to buy the optional items, the distributor will conduct an inspection of the customer’s residence. The inspection has to be completed within seven days, for which the customer has to pay Rs 250. Subsequently, the customer has to make the payment as specified by the distributor and the new LPG cylinder will be delivered at the doorstep, said Dey.