After we wrote last week (Rs 47-crore LPG subsidy deposited in Airtel bank accounts ‘opened without consent’) how cooking gas subsidy of more than 23 lakh customers had been transferred to Airtel payment Bank accounts without their knowledge, there was an overflow of readers’ comments online.

While some demanded action against the company, others ridiculed the government rule that forced transfer of subsidy into customer’s bank account latest to be linked with Aadhaar, instead of the one originally provided by the customer for receiving subsidy.

“What a rule? Why Bank for receiving subsidy should be changed without my instructions. I have already given Bank details to receive the subsidy so why it should be changed,” said one reader, identified online as Surjit Lamba.

“When I opened a new account in a bank, I gave my Aadhaar card for proof (they don”t even verify your finger prints) and my latest subsidy was deposited into that account without my consent. If that is the case why the oil marketing companies ask the customers to submit account details?” asked another reader identified as JRP.

“Aadhaar determines everything, not the consumer!” wrote Ravikiran Kiran. “BUT THIS RULE IS NOT CORRECT TO BE APPLIED. Many citizens may be having more than one bank account for a long time. It would be correct if the Oil Marketing Company supplying LPG cylinders SPECIFICALLY ask the consumers to indicate the bank account number in which the subsidy should be credited. Will Oil Ministry take note?” wrote VC, another reader.

The readers’ contention is that the government rule on subsidy transfer is unnecessarily injecting uncertainty and inconvenience in customers’ life.

Most of us have multiple bank accounts but seriously track just one or two accounts. We may not remember the last time we checked the monthly statement of some of our bank accounts. The deposit or withdrawal of cash or the transfer of funds is mostly kept track of through sms alerts. Some banks don’t even send sms alerts for smaller transactions such as the deposit of cooking gas subsidy, which has shrunk to just Rs 200-300 per cylinder these days due to lower oil prices.

In a busy life while many customers do care about receiving subsidy, they definitely don’t want to waste too much time trying to track when and in which account subsidy is being received each month.

With the government directive to link all existing bank accounts with Aadhaar, it’s quite probable that most consumers would at some time not receive subsidy in the bank account of their choice, and the government support would land in an account they barely track but have recently linked to Aadhaar.

Since consumers don’t actively operate this account, they must make some extra effort to withdraw this amount or transfer it to another actively used account- which involves cost.

As has happened now, many customers have complained that their account in the Airtel Payment Bank was opened without their knowledge or consent – Airtel has denied these allegations. This means an avoidable inconvenience to customers since they must now invest time in acquiring knowledge about operating the Airtel payment Bank and then spend money to reach an Airtel touchpoint to withdraw cash.

And the flipside is they would continue to receive subsidy in their Airtel account until they close it or link another account with Aadhar – the latest Aadhar-linked account will then become subsidy receiving account.

The easier way out of this mess is to allow consumers to receive subsidy in an account of their choice, and not keep changing it every time they link Aadhar with a new account.