Getting LPG Cylinder a herculean task for common man
Yash Khajuria
JAMMU, Jan 09: Inspite of completing all prescribed formalities and verifications, the availability of cooking gas (LPG) cylinders still seems to be distant dream as more than four months has passed but nothing concrete has come out so far to address the genuine problem of common masses.
Though the oil companies has started the home delivery service in some parts of the Jammu city but still a major chunk of population of Jammu is being deprived of this service.
Concerned Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution and Transport CAPD authorities on the other hand keeping abreast entire controversy saying that they were completely unaware of this scheme and are acting as just facilitator.
Authorities also maintained that that their job is to check the misuse of domestic LPG cylinders meant for household use only and could not take any step to streamline the home delivery of LPG cylinders as this service it was not associated with the concerned department and is a product of agreement between the dealers and oil companies.
It may be mention here that the oil companies in Jammu had blocked about 1.25 lakh consumers due to non- verification of LPG connections in view of the policy to cap the number of subsidized cylinders and assured of streamline home delivery of the LPG cylinders after completion of all formalities and verification.
But almost four months has lapsed and except some areas of the city the home delivery of the LPG cylinders has not been arranged. People living outside the city, rural areas and different outskirts of Jammu are the most sufferers as they still have to travel a long distance and to stand in queue for refill of their LPG cylinders despite going through a tough and lengthy verification process.
Sources said not only this, the LPG cylinders are denied at outlets as well, as the offices of the distributors are too small to handle the chaotic consumers on daily and they even have not installed the external booths for the verification process so the consumers who have verified connection can receive the gas delivery, which has poured the unnecessary rush at the distributors offices and the people with verified connection have to wait for long hours and even they back with empty cylinders.
Meanwhile, when contacted, Director CAPD Jammu, Parvez Ahmed Malik said very distressingly “City Ma Badi Mushkil Se Available Krayi Hai”, “We hardly arranged it in the city area” and could not say anything about the rural and other areas.
He stated that they were not associated with the home delivery of LPG cylinders in any manner and their job to control the misuse of domestic cylinders as this scheme has been formulated on the basis of agreement between dealers and oil companies.
He also gave a wary statement over the matter by saying that it is very apprehensive and lengthy process as firstly the consumers needs to visit the dealer shop for the booking of cylinders and then he/she will receive it if the service available in the respective area.
“I don’t know whether the oil companies have prepared their road map for the home deliver as they have not disclosed it with us and if anybody lodges complaint with us regarding the home delivery service, we could not do anything except forwarding it to the oil companies” he added.
Qamar Ali Akhoon- minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) for his comment could not be contacted despite several attempts.
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