Maharashtra: Free LPG cylinder a month for Ujjwala beneficiaries till June 30

PUNE: As many as 1.4 lakh liquefied petroleum gas customers in the district enrolled under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) will get a free cylinder each month from April to June, oil marketing companies said on Tuesday.

The number of beneficiaries is expected to be 40 lakh-plus in Maharashtra, a senior oil marketing representative told TOI.
The Union government had announced free refills for all PMUY consumers for three months, from April 1 to June 30.Eight crore beneficiaries in India will be entitled to free 14.2kg LPG cylinders.
The oil companies said it has been decided to transfer the full retail selling price of the refill cost for April in advance to the linked bank accounts of Ujjwala beneficiaries with the purpose of utilising the amount to purchase free-of-cost cylinders. The free cooking gas cylinders was part of the package announced by the Union finance minister to deal with the economic impact of the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19.
“A PMUY customer is entitled to a cylinder per month. The beneficiary can book the next refill only after 15 days of receipt of the last refill. The booking of refill must be done through Interactive Voice Response (IVRS) calls or registered mobile numbers. Refill acknowledgement can be one time password-based/undertaking, cash memo signature and blue book entry,” an oil marketing company official said.
The oil companies are also encouraging the customers to make digital payments wherever possible to avoid unnecessary handling of currency notes in the time of COVID-19. Since the lockdown, there has been a surge in LPG cylinder bookings and deliveries may have been delayed. But officials said the issue was being resolved.
“LPG distributorships are functioning normally under the advisory of the state government/local administrations. The LPG distributorships are well-stocked for the lockdown period and there is no shortage. Customers are advised not to panic or resort to hoarding and panic-buying,” an official said.
Ex gratia to oil marketing company personnel
An ex gratia amount of Rs5 lakh each has been announced in case of death of any oil marketing company personnel, such as LPG showroom staffers, godown-keepers, mechanics and delivery boys, retail outlet customer attendants and truck drivers, who are risking their lives to ensure delivery of fuel to customers and citizens, due to COVID-19. The amount will be paid to the spouse of such personnel. In the absence of the spouse, the payment will be made to the next of kin of the deceased.