Distributors' hand suspected in LPG diversion
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 14 2017:
Strong suspicions have been raised about involvement of some LPG distributors in diverting LPG refills to black markets at a time when the State is reeling under acute shortage of cooking gas .
A source in the IOC's Silchar Indane Area Office informed that IOC released 42126 LPG refills of 14.2 Kg capacity (domestic) to 84 LPG distributors of the State between September 1 and September 11 .
Out of the 42126 refills, 3,366 refills were released to eight distributors of defence and Manipur Police .
Of the remaining 38,760 refills, 24,648 refills were allocated to distributors located in the valley while 14112 were allocated to distributors based in hill districts .
These refills should be distributed to LPG consumers already registered and also those registered anew .
For LPG distribution in the valley, the stocks available for distribution to consumers are published in media but there is no such system for distributors based in hill areas.
As such, consumers of these distributors have no idea whether LPG refills have been distributed or not .
Moreover, most of the people prefer firewood to LPG in hill areas.
So LPG consumption is quite low .
Yet, one hill-based distributor took 1116 refills of 14.2 Kg capacity between September 1 and 11 .
Among the LPG distributors located in the valley, Athokpam Indane Service has the highest number of consumers and it took 1224 refills during the same period .
Jemon Gas has the second highest number of consumers and it took 918 refills and RBD Indane has the third highest number of consumers and it took 1530 refills
Misao Gas has the fourth highest number of consumers and it took 2142 refills while Manipur Gas which has the fifth highest number of consumers took 1782 refills during the same period.
For some distributors, the figures of LPG refills distributed to public as published in newspapers are incompatible with the figures of LPG refills released by Indane Area Office, Silchar between September 1 and 11 .
A comparative study of these figures indicated that some distributors did not distribute LPG to the tune of 306 refills, 558 refills and 612 refills .
The matter demands immediate attention of the authorities concerned, said the source.