New Delhi: 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 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 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.
Consumers can complete the authentication during LPG delivery, at their distributor’s showroom or through the mobile applications of the three state-owned oil marketing companies – IndianOil ONE for Indane, HelloBPCL for Bharatgas and HP PAY for HP Gas.
Those unwilling or unable to complete biometric authentication will still be able to receive LPG, but at the applicable market price without subsidy.
Such consumers will have to register their choice through the OMCs’ digital channels, including websites, mobile apps, WhatsApp chatbots and IVRS. They can receive 5-kg or 10-kg cylinders, subject to local availability, it said.
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 nationwide authentication drive has been underway since October 2023, with oil marketing companies sending more than 12 crore SMS and WhatsApp messages and conducting outreach through distributors, delivery personnel, special camps, IVRS prompts and other channels.
The latest move comes against the backdrop of the government’s substantial fiscal support for keeping domestic LPG affordable. 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.
Despite this support, accumulated under-recoveries on domestic LPG at state-owned OMCs exceeded Rs 62,000 crore as of August 31, 2026.
The authentication requirement effectively creates a distinction between subsidised LPG and market-priced LPG from October 1. For eligible households, completing BAA before booking the next refill will be important to avoid losing access to the regulated subsidised price.
For the government and OMCs, the stated objective is to make subsidy delivery more targeted and reduce leakage by ensuring each subsidised connection is linked to an Aadhaar-authenticated consumer.
The government has urged the remaining consumers to complete authentication before October 1 through the available online, distributor or delivery-based channels. The LPG services helpline is 1800 2333 555.
