Domestic LPG consumers will have to complete biometric Aadhaar authentication to book refills at the regulated retail selling price with applicable subsidy from October 1, the government said on Saturday, as it seeks to ensure subsidised cooking gas reaches only eligible households.
Consumers who have already completed the authentication will not need to take any further action. As of September 19, 27.43 crore active domestic LPG consumers, or 89.9 per cent of the total, had completed biometric Aadhaar authentication, according to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry.
For those yet to complete the process, subsidised refill booking will be enabled once authentication is completed, the ministry said in a statement.
The latest move comes against the backdrop of the government’s substantial fiscal support for keeping domestic LPG affordable. The government had initially asked consumers to complete biometric Aadhaar authentication by June 30, but subsequently extended the deadline several times to July 31, August 7, August 15, August 23, August 31, September 7 and finally September 14. The implicit subsidy for a 14.2-kg cylinder was around Rs 210 in September 2026, compared to Rs 721 in June, according to the ministry. The government paid public-sector oil marketing companies Rs 22,000 crore in compensation for domestic LPG under-recoveries in 2022-23 and is paying Rs 30,000 crore in each of 2025-26 and 2026-27, the ministry said.
The government said the measure is aimed at preventing diversion of subsidised domestic cylinders for commercial and industrial use, as well as eliminating duplicate and ineligible connections.
