Question : Irregularities in LPG Connections

(a) whether the Government has received a number of complaints of irregularities in providing LPG connections on demand basis and if so, the details thereof along with the number of persons on waiting list for getting LPG connection and the number of consumers provided LPG connections against annual booking during the last three years and the current year in the country, State/UT-wise including Rajasthan;
(b) the State/UT-wise number of LPG connections in urban and rural areas separately and average consumption of LPG per household in rural areas along with the steps taken to provide LPG connections in rural/tribal areas in the country during the said period, State/UTwise including Bihar;
(c) the number of LPG consumers who have surrendered subsidy during the said period along with the amount spent towards advertisement for creating awareness and motivation of consumers during the said period;
(d) the State/UT-wise details of subsidised/non-subsidised domestic LPG consumers in the country and per cylinder subsidy being provided to consumers at present along with any proposal to phase out the LPG subsidy in the country; and
(e) whether the Government proposes to open LPG agencies in rural areas to ease the availability of LPG in rural and tribal areas of the country, if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise along with special arrangements/facility made under the said scheme for the tribal area of Odisha?

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)
(a) Release of LPG connections is a continuous process. LPG distributors are under instruction to release new connections on demand and, as and when waiting list arises, liquidate the same within seven days after carrying out necessary de-duplication on submission of Know Your Customer (KYC) form along with documents in respect of valid Proof of Identity and valid Proof of Address by the prospective consumer. State/UT-wise details of waiting list of prospective consumers as on 01.07.2017 and State/UT-wise details of LPG connections released in the last three years (2014-15 to 2016-17 and from April 2017 to June 2017, including State of Rajasthan, are at Annexure-I.
(b)State/UT/wise details of Urban and Rural consumers, including in the State of Bihar, are at Annexure-II. Estimated average consumption of LPG in rural areas was 5.4 cylinders per household of 14.2 kg. in the year 2016 -17.
In order to provide clean cooking fuel to every poor household in the country, the Government has launched PMUY to provide 5 crore new LPG connections to the women belonging to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families over a period of three years starting from Financial Year 2016-17. Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have already released more than 2.5 crore connections under the Scheme within a span of 14 months since the launch of Scheme on 1st May, 2016.
(c) So far, more than one crore LPG consumers have given up their LPG subsidy under the ‘GiveItUp’ campaign. OMCs have reported an expenditure of nearly Rs. 66 crore till 31.03.2017 on account of popularising GiveItUp campaign.
(d) State/UT-wise details of subsidised/non-subsidised domestic LPG consumers in the country are at Annexure-III.
Price of LPG is revised on monthly basis. The subsidy on LPG varies from market to market bases on Retail Selling Price of the cylinder. The subsidy amount on a 14.2 kg
cylinder transferred to the account of a consumer in Delhi, for the month of July 2017, is Rs. 86.54.
Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) were authorized to increase price of Subsidized Domestic LPG cylinder by Rs. 2 per cylinder (14.2 kg) per month (excluding VAT as applicable in different State / Union territories) with effect from 1st July 2016. The Government vide its order dated 30th May, 2017 has again authorized OMCs to continue to increase the effective price of subsidized domestic LPG by Rs. 4 per cylinder effective from 1st June, 2017 per month (excluding VAT as applicable in different State/Union Territories) till the reduction of Government subsidy to “NIL”, or till March 2018, or till further orders, whichever is earliest. The price for the other subsidized cylinders (i.e. 5 kg etc.) would be increased proportionately by OMCs.
(e) Setting up of LPG distributorship is a continuous process. As on 01.07.2017, there are 18950 LPG distributorship in the country. OMCs have advertised 2843 locations including 400 locations in the State of Odisha, to set up new LPG distributorships(mostly in rural areas). In Unified Guidelines for Selection LPG Distributorships, there is provision of LPG distributorship for durgam and difficult areas namely, Durgam Kshetriya Vitrak (DKV). Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has sanctioned LPG distributorships under DKV category to the State/UT Governments of Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar, Maharashtra and 18th Battalion, Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh.
*********