Rate for new connection At the fancy of distributors ?
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 10 2015:
Most LPG distributors don't give much importance to the price fixed by Government of India and IOC for registering new LPG connections and they have been charging different amounts at their own fancy, alleged some consumers.
They further questioned if the authorities concerned would remain silent if oil pumps too start fixing prices of petrol and diesel at their whims.
Some consumers, on condition of anonymity, told The Sangai Express that the amounts required for registration of new LPG connection is around Rs 2750 for double cylinder and Rs 1600 approximately for single cylinder excluding stove.
However, some distributors have been charging as much as Rs 9500 for registration of new connection (double cylinder).
For single cylinder, the amount is hiked to as high as Rs 7000 .
The consumers asked whether the authorities concerned are unaware of these malpractices or deliberately turning a blind eye.
The amount charged for registration of a new connection varies considerably with what was written on the registration slip.
Perhaps, LPG distributors might be facing a number of monetary demands.
But this problem is not confined to them.
Oil pumps might be facing the same problems, said the consumers.
Silence of LPG consumers has only emboldened the distributors to charge any amount of their choice for registration of new connections.
One M Thambou who claims to be a consumer of Mani Thoubal Gas Agency since the agency was opened said that the whole function of the distributor need streamlining and rationalisation.
He said that he received only three refills each in the preceding two years.
For the current year, he has received two refills.
Despite the lop-sided distribution pattern, the distributor has been rated excellent in terms of its performance which is rather ridiculous, Thambou remarked.
One police personnel confided that subsidies for six LPG refills entered his bank account against three refills he took this year.
Alleging that the additional three refills were swindled by the distributor, the police personnel said that he had to buy three LPG refills at Rs 1600 each from the black market.