Suspicion of LPG diversion grows
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 09 2017:
There is growing suspicion that domestic LPG refills allocated to distributors located at remote hill areas where transport infrastructure is pathetic, are being diverted to Imphal without taking them to their designated destinations .
Except for some households located at hill district headquarters, firewood is more common in interior areas .
As such, there is a big question whether domestic LPG refills allocated to distributors located in interior hill areas are actually distributed to their consumers .
Tousem Indane Gramin Vitrak is one LPG distributor located in interior hill areas where transport infrastructure is also quite bad .
The distributor has around 1541 consumers.
During this financial year, it issued seven refills each to two consumers and six refills each to 32 consumers.
These are the highest figures so far .
But the names of these consumers who have received maximum numbers of refills indicate that they are Meiteis or Nepalese who are normally residents of the valley .
The two consumers who have received seven refills each are named Huidrom Anita and Surajkumar Shahu .
Shankar Chakraborty, M Suraj, Y Devananda, Chungkham Mani Singh, Thoudam Yaiskul Meitei, MS Thoiba Chiru, Pebam Bembem, Pankaj Kumar Shahu, Laimayum Asha Devi, Lambam Arun, Ajoy Prakash Thakur, Kiyam Meena Devi, Kshetrimayum Gyanjit Singh, Wangmayum Muktar Rahaman, Sangeeta Devi, Lourembam Romi and Laishram Sanatombi Devi are names of some of the consumers who have been given six refills each .
On the other hand, names of some of the consumers who have been given minimum number of refills are Pouheigaing, Karinglule, Rahel, Rambui, Lungchumbuing, Tarei Nriamme, N Giatuile Selas, Pourangteuchangbe, Ningdoung Akambou, Luatdinliu, Weidinreiliu, Kambiliu, Athui and Guigaleng .
As the names suggest, they look like residents of Tousem and surrounding areas .
Tousem Indane Gramin Vitrak has around 143 consumers who have received only one refill each.
They do not get any subsidy as they have not yet submitted their Aadhar numbers .
Nonetheless, those consumers who appear to be residents of the valley and have received maximum number of refills have their LPG connections linked with Aadhar numbers and bank accounts.
As such, they enjoy subsidy .
Notably, Aadhar cards have not been generated for a large number of people living in the hill areas of Manipur.
In addition, they do not have access to banking facility .
If the 143 consumers who have been given just one refill each are genuine residents of Tousem, it is clear that vast majority of Tousem people use firewood rather than LPG.
It has also aroused a serious suspicion that LPG refills allocated to Tousem Indane Gramin Vitrak from Sekmai bottling plant are diverted to some other places.