PAHAL (DBTL) Scheme

India’s LPG Connections: A Brief Overview
Over 1.2 billion people live in India, and each one of them has to survive on food in order to exist. Given these figures, India has among the greatest numbers of LPG connections worldwide. Recent estimates put the number of LPG connections in the country at above 18 crore, or more than 7 connections for every 10 residences. Even rural areas have access to cylinders because of the LPG connection, and the number of available cylinders is always rising.
Given these figures, oil firms have stepped up their efforts to reach every household with LPG cylinders.
Despite the rise in connections, a sizable portion of families still lack access to LPG cylinders and rely instead on conventional “Chulas” for cooking. The PAHAL Scheme was launched by the government in an effort to make LPG cylinders available to people.

PAHAL (DBTL) Scheme
LPG in India is offered under the PAHAL (DBTL) Scheme at discounted rates, making it accessible to all. People may save a sizable amount of money annually due to the normal subsidy amount, which runs between Rs. 160 and Rs. 170 per cylinder. 
The government of India created the PAHAL, or Direct Benefit Transfer of LPG Scheme, because the numbers involved made it possible for the subsidy amount to be misused. The Pratyaksh Hanstantrit Labh Scheme, often known as PAHAL, intends to directly benefit customers.
The programme, which initially launched in 2013, was revived to include the whole nation. According to the plan, LPG users may get their subsidy money straight into their bank accounts, cutting off the need for intermediaries.

PAHAL Scheme for LPG Consumers’ Goals
The main goal of PAHAL was to prevent any financial mismanagement by ensuring that LPG users received the subsidy benefit straight into their accounts. Preventing tax money from being misused directly aids consumers. The Aadhar was linked to this programme primarily to validate information, create an extensive database, and advance digitalization.

Important Characteristics and Advantages of the PAHAL (DBTL) LPG Scheme
The following list of important aspects of this plan is pointed out:

• Anyone who wants to take advantage of the benefits that come with this programme must have a bank account. 
• This account will receive a direct deposit of the subsidised amount.
• The cylinder will be sold at the regular price, and the subsidy will be deposited into your account. As a result, different pricing is prevented and everyone is treated equally.
• The plan calls for the transfer of only one advance to the bank account of an individual. Before they purchase their first cylinder from the marketplace, they will pay this sum.
• Depending on how many subsidised cylinders a person is eligible for in a particular year, the subsidy will be provided.
• Customers have the option of immediately connecting their banking accounts or their Aadhar ID to their gas connection.
• Consumers who sign up for the programme will receive a Rs. 568 advance, which will be credited to their banking account.
• Those who are not interested in the subsidy amount may opt to renounce it willingly. The money saved will be put towards other needs.
• Customers who want to receive SMS updates about the programme should register their mobile numbers with their local gas agency.
• The plan would lessen black market transactions by preventing the sale of unlicensed cylinders. This increases overall safety as well because LPG cylinders bought on the illegal market may have leaks or other problems.
• It would eradicate the practise of people having several gas connections.
• There can only be one connection per family, which encourages standardisation of behaviour.
• The plan gets rid of brokers, saving money for all parties. With no need to pay a third party to monitor the subsidy level, oil firms may also save money in addition to customers.
• It aids organisations in keeping track of their clients and enables them to deliver better services.
• People who do not have bank accounts are not eligible to take advantage of this scheme’s advantages. 
• Thus, this initiative encourages individuals to create bank accounts and moves the nation closer to a cashless future.
•  PAHAL Yojana (Direct Benefit Transfer Programme) is in operation.
  These few steps will illustrate how PAHAL functions:
• People must sign up for the programme. Either by electronically linking their bank account with the gas connection or by integrating their Aadhar with the gas connection ID, people may register.
• Once enrolled, the client will get one advance. This will take place when they make their first booking.
• They will be required to pay the current market rate every time they reserve the cylinder. Their gas connection-related bank account will receive a direct deposit of the subsidy amount.
• People will get a subsidy for the number of subsidised cylinders for which they meet the criteria in a given year.
• After that, they would buy cylinders at the market price.

Direct Benefit Transfer (PAHAL) Scheme Registration Process
Two procedures are available for people to register:
Aadhar Users may use the DBTL programme by connecting their Aadhar number to their banking account. Form 1 can be picked up from the gas distributor or printed out on the internet and filled out for this purpose. 
You should deposit this document with your bank or the LPG distributor. Form 2 must then be completed in order to connect the Aadhar with the LPG connection. It can be submitted physically to the distributor or electronically using the official UIDAI webpage. One may also register to utilise the IVRS service by sending an SMS.

Without an Aadhar: If a customer lacks an Aadhar, they can still register using their savings account. This may be completed by supplying the bank information, such as the account number, account holder’s name, IFSC, contact information, etc. To get the subsidy straight away, someone may additionally inquire with the bank to connect their gas connection and bank account.
After that, they would buy cylinders at the market price.

Check Your PAHAL (DBTL) status
Most gas providers offer an online option for customers to monitor their PAHAL status. People may do this by providing certain necessary data, such as the customer number, their state and district of residence, and their distributor information.

FAQs