The government has made SMS registration for the Prime Minister’s Fuel Subsidy Scheme free, removing the previous Rs. 1.40 charge for applicants.

The subsidy scheme covers motorcycles, rickshaws and vehicles with engine capacities of up to 800cc across the country, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Applicants can register by sending an SMS to 9771 in the format “REG,” followed by a space, their Computerized National Identity Card number, vehicle registration number, first letter of the province where the vehicle is registered, and vehicle registration date.

Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the registration service had been made free to facilitate applicants.

She said all telecom operators had been instructed not to deduct any charges from users sending registration messages for the scheme.

Previously, applicants were charged Rs. 1.40 for each registration SMS.

Complete information about the Prime Minister’s Fuel Subsidy Scheme is also available in Urdu on the official website.