State-run oil marketing companies have clarified that no deadline has been set for the submission of e-KYC by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) consumers. Official sources in the State-level coordinator for the oil industry said that so far, around 65% of over 2.10 crore consumers have submitted the details to their respective agencies. In the case of Ujjwala consumers, this percentage is slightly higher.
A few days ago, a fake news on social media said that the last date for submission of e-KYC was March 31 and that customers must rush and complete the formalities.
“The whole exercise is to ensure that data of genuine consumers are correct. Customers have to submit their Aadhar card and biometric data. An OTP to the registered mobile number completes the process. This is being done at the respective gas agencies and if someone is unable to do, the agency will send someone home,” said an official.
Some consumers said that they were too busy and had to find the time to go to the gas agency. Seethalakshmi Suresh, a consumer, said that this is the second time that the OMCs are seeking KYC data. . “Banks keep losing our details and at least once a year, we submit Aadhar card and Pan card copies at our branches. Why can’t the gas agencies just ask us via perhaps a Google document or an app if the data is the same and get over with it? Why do we need to match biometrics now” she said.
Consumer activist T. Sadagopan said that the false information had worried many people. “Families that have gone out of the country are worried. Even last year, similar news was going around, and people were panicking. OMCs should perhaps send text or Whatsapp messages informing customers that there is still time for them to submit details. Some agencies are collecting a fee to come home and collect the data, which is unfair. There is no receipt for this amount that is being collected.”
An LPG distributor said that they were finding it difficult to collect details at consumers’ homes since in many places network connectivity was not up to the mark and the instrument kept buffering waiting for data. “The delivery boys too are mostly illiterate and are unable to operate the app. A few consumers who tried uploading data on their own said that face capture was a problem and that they gave it up,” he said.
