Government Links LPG Supply to Aadhaar to Curb Misuse of Subsidy

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has announced that from 1 October 2026, all households receiving LPG cylinders at a subsidised rate must undergo biometric Aadhaar authentication. The primary goal is to ensure that the subsidy reaches only eligible families and to prevent the illegal use of domestic cylinders for commercial or industrial activities. By associating LPG connections with Aadhaar‑verified consumers, the government expects to remove duplicate and ineligible connections, thereby improving the flow of subsidies to genuine beneficiaries. Consumers who have already completed the biometric verification will not need to repeat the process and can continue to book cylinders as before. Those who have not yet verified must complete the Aadhaar biometric step before they can obtain a subsidised cylinder. The verification can be done through the delivery person’s mobile app, at distributor showrooms, or via the mobile applications of oil marketing companies such as IndianOil, Bharat Gas and HP Gas. If a consumer opts out of biometric verification, LPG supply will continue but without any subsidy, meaning the cylinder must be purchased at the market price. These consumers must register their choice on the digital platform of their oil marketing company using web portals, mobile apps, WhatsApp chatbots, IVRS or other available methods, after which a 5‑kg or 10‑kg cylinder will be allocated based on local availability. Official statistics indicate that as of 19 September, 274.3 million domestic LPG users—about 90 % of the total—have already completed biometric Aadhaar verification. The government has been running an awareness campaign since October 2023, employing SMS, WhatsApp messages, distributor and delivery‑person outreach, special enrollment camps, IVRS reminders and both digital and traditional media to inform the public.