Many suspect leaky refills at Jemon
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 23 2016 : Many consumers have expressed strong suspicion about presence of leaked LPG refill cylinders in the godown of Jemon Gas, Chingamathak.

According to some staff of the LPG distributor, around 30 refill cylinders out of 306 refills supplied from Sekmai LPG Bottling Plant were found leaky.

Informing that Jemon Gas, Chingamathak has been distributing LPG refills for the past four consecutive days, some consumers said that they were given leaky refills day before yesterday.

After a complaint was lodged, they were told to take new leak-proof refills yesterday but they again got leaky refills and the same story repeated today too.

As the consumers would not take the risk of using leaky refills, they went back without taking any refills.

Earlier too, majority of the refills were found leaky and a negotiation was held in presence of media persons.

At that time, the distributor promised to ensure that all the refills issued to consumers were tested leak-proof.

Complaining that many of the refills have been found leaky, the irritated consumers appealed to the authorities to look into the matter immediately.

However, Jemon Gas Chingamathak staff maintained that the refill cylinders get leaky as periodic repairing of the necks where regulators are fitted was not done.

They said that the brass necks should be repaired after every four months.

If the colour of the brass necks turn black, they are found to be leaky.

There are around 30 such cylinders for every 306 refill cylinders supplied from Sekmai bottling plant, they said adding that this is an outcome of the IOC's maintenance failure.

There is a provision for returning leaky cylinders but no one can say when replacement cylinders would be issued.

In most cases, replacement cylinders were not issued for prolonged periods.

As for the IOC, they would like to distribute all refills it supplied and they don't like return of (leaky) cylinders.

As such, distributors too try to distribute all the refill cylinders as far as possible.

As per IOC's instructions, if a refilled cylinder fitted with regulator and pipe does not emit bubbles when the lose end of the pipe is immersed in water, it is assumed that the cylinder is not leaky.

But none of the distributors can undertake such leak-proof test.

Even if many of the refill cylinders were found leaky, consumers did not hesitate to take them when there was shortage of LPG.

However, following the considerable improvement in supply and distribution of LPG, consumers would not like to take the risk of using leaky refill cylinders.

When a consumer rejects a leaky cylinder, the distributor cannot do anything.

Moreover, he/she is given the privilege of choosing a refill cylinder which is not leaky the next time when the particular distributor distributes refills, said the staff.

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