LPG Subsidy Rule From October 1: Aadhaar Biometric Authentication Now Mandatory For Subsidised Refills

Domestic LPG consumers will have to complete biometric Aadhaar authentication to book subsidised cooking-gas refills from October 1, in a move the government says is aimed at plugging leakage and ensuring that subsidised cylinders reach only eligible households.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry said consumers who have already completed the authentication process do 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.

For the remaining consumers, subsidised refill booking will be enabled only after the authentication is completed. The government said the exercise is intended to prevent the diversion of subsidised domestic LPG cylinders for commercial and industrial use and to weed out 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 who do not wish to or are unable to complete biometric authentication will not be completely denied LPG. They can continue to obtain cylinders at the applicable market price without subsidy, after registering their choice through OMC websites, mobile apps, WhatsApp chatbots or IVRS. The government said 5-kg and 10-kg cylinders can also be supplied, subject to local availability.

The deadline has already been extended several times. Initially fixed for June 30, it was subsequently pushed to July 31, August 7, August 15, August 23, August 31, September 7 and finally September 14.

The move comes as the government continues to provide substantial financial support to keep domestic LPG affordable. According to the ministry, the implicit subsidy on a 14.2-kg cylinder was around Rs 210 in September 2026, compared with Rs 721 in June.

The government paid public-sector oil marketing companies Rs 22,000 crore towards domestic LPG under-recoveries in 2022-23 and is providing Rs 30,000 crore each in 2025-26 and 2026-27. Yet, accumulated under-recoveries on domestic LPG at state-owned OMCs had crossed Rs 62,000 crore as of August 31, 2026.

The nationwide biometric authentication campaign has been underway since October 2023, with OMCs sending more than 12 crore SMS and WhatsApp messages and using distributors, delivery personnel, special camps and IVRS prompts to reach consumers.

For households that depend on subsidised LPG, the practical change is clear: Aadhaar biometric authentication will become a condition for accessing the subsidised refill price from October 1. Consumers who have not completed it may therefore face a higher bill if they choose to continue buying LPG at market rates.