Misuse of domestic LPG rampant, no action taken up so far
Domestic LPG warms hotel kitchens
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 25 2011:
Domestic LPG cylinders being provided by the Government of India at subsidised rates, despite rising price of crude oil in the international market, are being misused extensively for commercial purposes in Manipur.
According to rules, commercial units should use only commercial LPG cylinders.
However, with the commercial units using domestic LPG cylinders extensively which are being provided by the Government at a subsidised rate, the national exchequer is losing a huge amount of money.
One commercial LPG cylinder of 19 Kg capacity costs Rs 1468.50 whereas domestic LPG cylinder of 14.2 Kg capacity costs Rs 415.50 at Imphal.
This means one Kg of LPG meant for commercial use costs Rs 77.29 as against Rs 29.27 for one Kg of LPG meant for domestic use.
As such, the price of commercial LPG and domestic LPG differs by around Rs 48 per Kg.
An official of the IOC's Integrated Area Office, Silchar told The Sangai Express that domestic LPG should be used only in domestic cooking.
Using domestic LPG cylinders other than for domestic purposes is not only illegal but also entails risks.
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As per the Liquified Petroleum Gas Control Order 2001, any one found using domestic LPG cylinder in dhabas, restaurants, cafeterias, canteens, hotels, lodges or industrial units can be imprisoned for seven years in addition to imposing certain amount of money as fine.
Further, anyone found installing domestic LPG cylinders in cars, autorickshaws, vans or other automobiles as fuel can also be booked under Motor Vehicle Rules 2001 .
However, in Manipur all these rules and statutes seem meaningless.
Even as domestic LPG cylinders are being used in commercial units extensively, none of the State authorities seem to have any qualms.
The Government of Manipur has been requested to take up necessary actions to check misuse of domestic LPG cylinders in commercial units but nothing has come out of it, the official conveyed.
Another official of IOC Divisional Sales Office, Imphal said that having more than one LPG connection in a family is one major factor encouraging misuse of domestic LPG cylinders in commercial units.
As a matter of policy, one household should have only one LPG connection and two cylinders at the maximum.
According to rules, domestic LPG cylinders should be used only in cooking food and they cannot be used for even boiling water.
Use of domestic LPG cylinders in commercial units can be checked when people fully understand its demerits.
Nevertheless, commercial LPG cylinders have been introduced in quite a lumber number of commercial units following sustained efforts by IOC Divisional Sales Office, Imphal towards this end, claimed the official.