India's New Regulatory Changes: Aadhaar Verification for LPG Consumers

The government has announced several regulatory changes that will take effect in October, affecting household budgets, LPG consumers, bank depositors, and digital payment users.

From October 1, biometric Aadhaar authentication will be mandatory for consumers seeking subsidized domestic LPG refills. This move aims to ensure that subsidised LPG reaches eligible households and prevents duplicate or ineligible connections and diversion of domestic cylinders for commercial use.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said that 27.43 crore consumers, or 89.9 per cent, had already completed the authentication as of September 19. Consumers who have already completed BAA do not need to repeat the process. Those who have not completed it can authenticate their Aadhaar through multiple routes.

The government has also clarified that consumers who do not wish to complete biometric authentication will still be able to receive LPG, subject to registering their choice through the available OMC digital channels. However, the subsidized refill facility is linked to completion of the authentication process.