The scheme envisages that the consumer buys a cylinder every time paying the full price of about Rs 1000 and then the concerned authorities would be pleased to pay the subsidy amount into the consumer’s bank account.  One fails to understand why the gas distributor should get the full amount immediately and the poor consumer has to wait for the pleasure of the authorities to receive his subsidy amount.  We do not know how many months or years the consumer has to wait for the subsidy to flow  into his bank account. And when it is ultimately received there is no guarantee that one gets the full amount.  The authorities are notorious for making their own deductions from the amounts due to the citizens.  All this is avoidable harassment to the long suffering citizens.

It would be most appropriate if the number of subsidized cylinders due to the consumer as per his eligibility is delivered to him in the first instance itself at the subsidized price ( cylinders over and above the eligibility should be delivered at no-subsidised price) .  The distributor can submit his delivery vouchers to the appropriate authorities at the end of the month, and claim his subsidy which will be disbursed after due verification.  If any fudging is found, very stringent action will have to be taken against the  distributor..

This will go a long in mitigating the distress of the consumer