Over Rs 47 crore LPG subsidy deposited in Airtel payments bank's accounts

Trade

• Watchlist
• Portfolio
• Message
• Set Alert

 

 

Choose Stock Exchange: BSE LIVE NSE LIVE

26 Aug, 2025 12:21

Volume

Todays L/H

More

×

Over Rs 47 crore LPG subsidy was deposited in more than 23 lakh customer's Airtel bank accounts most of which were opened without their consents since June 9, reported Economic Times.

Of these, about 11 lakh gas customers belong to Indian Oil while the balance is evenly split between Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum, according to a communication sent by a state oil company to National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) that maps bank accounts with Aadhaar and oversees retail payments and settlement systems in the country.

Stating that Airtel has been opening payments bank accounts of its customers without their consent, the state oil firm urged NPCI to stop further Aadhaar number being seeded into Airtel Bank without consumer consent and get Rs 47 crore transferred from Airtel Bank to the customers’ existing bank accounts where the subsidy should have gone in the first place.

Even though the top mobile operator denied any wrongdoing by saying it was transparently abiding by the law, the government intervened to look at the matter.

“Airtel Payments Bank is fully compliant with all guidelines and follows a stringent customer onboarding process,” the telco said in response to ET’s query.

The Oil Ministry, which had clarified that the rule is to transfer subsidy to the latest bank account of the beneficiary seeded with their Aadhaar number, has also taken up the matter with Airtel, NPCI and the finance ministry in this regard.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Saturday had temporarily barred Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank from conducting Aadhaar-based SIM verification of mobile customers using the eKYC process as well as e-KYC of payments bank clients.

The action follows allegations of Bharti Airtel using the Aadhaar-eKYC based SIM verification process to open payments bank accounts of its subscribers without their 'informed consent'. UIDAI also took strong objection to allegations that such payments bank accounts are being linked to receive LPG subsidy.

Earlier, UIDAI had also ordered a probe against Bharti Airtel for alleged violation of the Aadhaar Act, following the government's direction to link Aadhaar to mobile numbers.

Airtel payments bank, India's 1st payments bank, was launched in early 2017 after the RBI allowed opening of such banks. The entity can have a minimum paid-up equity capital of Rs 100 crore but they cannot lend like traditional banks.