Home service for LPG cylinders
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, May 28 2015 :
For years shop keepers and other blackmarketeers in Manipur have been selling LPG cylinders under the nose of the police and other officials.
These were sold Rs 300 more than the official price
till recently.
However following the introduction of the new system under the new government price for a LPG cylinder on the blackmarket was jacked up to Rs 1550 each.
However a surprising thing is that no shop or kiosk is displaying the filled up LPG cylinders.
On inquiry some shop keepers told this reporter that following exposes in some local newspapers police have become very vigilant.
They said that the shop keepers and cylinders are bundled away by the raiding parties.
However the fact that some of them are rounded up is news to the newspaper persons.
Besides such police raids do not necessarily mean that the blackmarketing business in LGP is over.
On the condition of anonymity some shop keepers told this reporter that they are stocking a few dozens of LPG cylinders at godown and out houses in their homes.
Bona fide consumers who come seeking the cylinders have to pay Rs 1550 with no scope for haggling and the snooty shop keepers who maintain take-it-or-leave-it air collects the money, writes a chit.
This chit is shown to his wife or a salesman at home who will dole out the cylinders silently.
The shops keepers said that in the past they used to get cylinders at cheaper rates from some hirelings of the gas agencies.
However taking advantage of the convoluted new system these hirelings had hiked the price.
A shop keeper is buying one cylinder at Rs 1200 by exchanging an empty cylinder.
They explained that they have to add some profit and handling charges.
It is understandable why most of the gas agencies are dragging their feet in regularising the new system.
Some of them are not even issuing the regularisation forms to the consumers on many excuses.
The government officials have not come to the rescue of the consumers who have to pay this exorbitant price for unexplained reasons.