LPG cylinders refilled at Sekmai Bottling Plant found leaked
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, November 25 2014: In yet another revelation of loophole on the part of Sekmai Bottling Plant which was set up under Indian Oil Corporation to ensure adequate supply of gas cylinders to consumers, many gas cylinders dispatched by agencies to its consumers after refilling are found leaked, prompting consumers to question proper functioning of the plant.

The unwarranted development came to light when this newspaper investigated at several gas agencies during distribution of refilled cylinders to its consumers in the last few days.

During the course of investigation, gas outlets of many refilled cylinders were found leaked.

Usually consumers ask the authorities of the agencies to check for any leakage in the cylinders.

LPG cylinders refilled at Sekmai Bottling Plant found leaked

It was found that many of the cylinders were found leaked during such checking, compelling consumers to ask for replacement of the leaked cylinders with other ones.

However, authorities of the agencies instead of issuing a new cylinder, repaired the outlets of the gas cylinders by using pliers in an unskillful manner and gave away such worn cylinders to consumers.

Consumers took away the cylinders with the belief that it must be usable.

As stated by authorities of gas agencies, incident of leakage of gas cylinders was rare during the time when cylinders were brought from outside the State.

However, complaints of leakage of gas cylinders started pouring in ever since refill of gas cylinders has been done at Sekmai Bottling Plant.

On normal basis, a total of 306 refilled cylinders are brought in a truck from the plant to respective agencies.

However, when dispatched to the consumers, half of the refilled cylinders are found leaked despite its gas outlets covered by cap and sealed it with plastic by the IOC.

But when checked after tearing its plastic seal and opening its cap, many of the refilled cylinders are often found leaked.

In majority of the leaked cylinders, it has been learnt that its caps are worn out.

Those which fitted with new caps are not found leaked.

It is assumed that the problem of gas leakage is due to the failure of the IOC to replace worn caps with new ones in time.

Those refilled cylinders found leaked during dispatching to consumers are kept in godowns of the agencies.

Certain amount of time is taken to replace leaked cylinders with new one from the IOC.

As such, agencies have to incur loss of money due to running out of gas from the leaked cylinders.

According to some consumers, unlike in other States, cylinders dispatched by agencies with IOC seal after refilling it from Sekmai Bottling Plant cannot be assumed that it will not be leaked.