Consumers for uniform connection charge
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 18 2016 :
Taking serious note of the varying and often exorbitant new LPG connection fees charged by distributors, many consumers have asked distributors to display details of connection charges at their cash counters or on notice boards.
Many consumers of Canchi Indane Service, MM Gas Service, Imphal LPG, K&K Indane, Patsoi Indane Gramin Vitrak, RBD Indane, Manipur Gas service and Misao Gas Service have expressed keen desire for the authority concerned to take up necessary action in this regard.
The LPG consumers numbering around 10 who sought anonymity said that there must be a uniform rate for new LPG connections fixed by the IOC.
Even if one tends to argue that the revenue earned by LPG distributors is running into deficit or they have difficulty in meeting necessary expenditures such as payment of salaries for employees, there must be a uniform connection charge for all distributors.
Details of new connection charge such as prices of cylinders, stoves, hose pipes, pressure regulators etc should be displayed.
But what is happening today is varying prices for new LPG connections being charged on the whims of the distributors, said the disgruntled consumers.
Meanwhile, it is said that LPG consumers who fail to submit their Aadhar numbers by March 31 may not be given subsidy on LPG refills.
After submission of his/her Aadhar number, the distributor would issue a form inscribed with the consumers 17-digits LPG identity numbers.
After filling up this form, the consumer should submit the same to the bank.
The bank would give back an acknowledgement slip after tearing it from the same form.
But there are many LPG consumers who have not been receiving their subsidies even after submission of Aadhar numbers to the distributor as well as bank.
When they complained to distributors, the distributors said that the banks failed to link their Aadhar numbers.
When the consumers approached banks, the banks told them all their Aadhar numbers have been linked to their LPG accounts.
The banks even gave documents in support of their claim that the consumers' Aadhar numbers have been linked.
This only created a perplexing situation for the consumers.
All consumers are entitled to subsidies till March 31 whether they have submitted their Aadhar numbers or not.
The problem of linking Aadhar numbers with LPG accounts can be addressed to a large extent if the part of sending Aadhar numbers is done by respective LPG distributors rather than by consumers themselves, they opined.