Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jun 9: A number of villagers, it has been gathered, have of late started receiving letters from the office of the Prime Minister congratulating them for forgoing LPG subsidy. Surprised at the contents of these letters after getting them read through their literate neighbours or relatives, they get shock of their lives to learn that have permanently sacrificed LPG subsidy for which they are eligible.

The villagers curse themselves after realizing the fact that they had pressed '0' instead of ‘1’ when booking LPG cylinder. One such illiterate person who gave away her subsidy happens to be Gangamma from Kudur in Ramanagara district who realized after getting the letter received from the Prime Minister's office read through others that she had without her knowledge, given her assent to the proposal to give up LPG subsidy.

Gas agencies say that thousands of people from every district have sacrificed their subsidy so far, many of them without actually willing to do so. The common error of pressing a wrong button once has been robbing them of the subsidy, which means a lot for poor citizens like Gangamma.

In addition to removing eligibility for LPG subsidy in respect of consumers having annual income of Rs 10 lac or more, a scheme under which consumers were allowed to voluntarily give up their subsidy to finance an ambitious scheme to provide free LPG to very poor families dependent on traditional fuel for cooking, was announced in March 2015. During the course of booking gas cylinders, the consumers are given an offer to press ‘0’ and give up their subsidy or press ‘1’ to book new cylinder. A person who by oversight presses ‘0’ tends to lose his or her subsidy.

Can people who by oversight forgo their subsidy get it back? Gas agencies say the consumers can contact their agencies and give a letter stating the circumstances under which the subsidy was stopped without their knowledge, and seeking restoration of the same. Such applications will be processed, and if found eligible, subsidies are likely to be credited to bank accounts of such consumers in due course, they clarify.