Now Reading: 34 lakh Bihar families lose LPG as e-KYC deadline expires
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34 lakh Bihar families lose LPG as e-KYC deadline expires
Over 34 lakh families in Bihar have had their LPG connections blocked after failing to complete e-KYC by the 30 September deadline. The software auto-locked these connections, halting refill bookings and subsidy for an estimated 2 crore people. Affected households are turning to alternative cooking methods or buying gas on the black market.
Of the state's 2.28 crore LPG consumers, only 1.94 crore completed e-KYC. Among the three major oil companies, Indane has 22 lakh blocked connections, HP Gas 5 lakh, and Bharat Gas 6.5 lakh. Company officials said connections will be restored within 24 to 48 hours after biometric verification is done. As a temporary measure, consumers can book a 10 kg commercial cylinder for Rs 1,600 through the app, which costs 2.5 times more than a domestic cylinder.
Officials cited lack of awareness, migration of primary cardholders, and infrastructure constraints as reasons for the low compliance. The state government has not yet announced any relief or extension.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The auto-lock affects Bihar's poorest households, many of whom were enrolled under the Ujjwala scheme and may lack the literacy or digital access to complete e-KYC on their own. The high cost of a commercial cylinder will push these families further toward distress. The companies' own numbers show that Indane, with 22 lakh blocked accounts, has the biggest gap, suggesting a systemic failure in customer outreach. Whether the 24-to-48-hour restoration timeline holds depends on the capacity of local agencies, where officials say staff shortages limit them to processing only 30 people per day.
Source: bhaskar.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
