Domestic LPG cylinders used in Sangai Fest foodstalls, foodstall dismissed
for selling food items with high chemical content; 2743 refills to merely 400 consumers this year
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 25 2015: As a testimony to the fact that illegal use of LPG cylinders is still rampant, domestic LPG cylinders have been openly used at most of the food stalls and joints in the ongoing Manipur Sangai Festival at Hapta Kangjeibung.

Commercial (non-domestic) LPG cylinders should be used for commercial purposes.

The use of domestic gas for commercial purposes is a punishable offence under Section 7 of Essential Commodities Act, 1955 .

Attempts to get in touch with State Tourism Department Secretary Nidhi Mani Tripathi went in vain in the evening today.

Meanwhile a team of Food Safety and Standard Enforcement Wing, Health Department, Manipur, during a survey of the food stalls set up at the Sangai Festival has dismissed a food stall for selling food items with high chemical content.

Domestic LPG used at a foodstall at the festival venue

Food safety officer-in-charge Th Sunilkumar said the Health Department had previously issued a list of food safety standards to be followed by the foodstall owners.

The team had collected food samples from 6 different stalls yesterday to be tested for any violation of the rules set by the Food Safety and Standard, Manipur.

On November 22, a food stall called Moiranthem Ice was dismissed from the Festival for using chemical colourant in cotton candies.

The drive is being conducted to ensure that the food items sold at the festival are safe for consumption, the food safety officer-in-charge said.

On the other hand, during the course of the daily investigation conducted by The Sangai Express, it has come to light that LPG distributor, Yairipok Gas Service has distributed a total of 2743 subsidised domestic LPG refills to just 400 consumers from April this year till November.

The distributor has 4159 active consumers.

Out of these, there are about 3751 DBTL consumers.

The subsidised domestic LPG refills issued to the distributor by IOC from Sekmai Gas Bottling Plant this year have been distributed to just 400 DBTL consumers out of 3751 .

Although it is not ascertained how much LPG refills have been issued to non-DBTL consumers during the period by the distributor, it is ascertained that a total of 2743 subsidised domestic LPG refills have been issued to 400 selected DBTL consumers by this distributor.

One DBTL consumer, among the 400 consumers, has received 13 subsidised domestic LPG refills so far.

The consumer who has received 13 subsidised LPG refills is Consumer No CX 12533857, Sorokhaibam Premananda Singh.

The total subsidy amount for the 13 LPG refills is Rs 3746.19 .

A total of 41 consumers, among the 400, have received 12 subsidised LPG refills each while six consumers have received 11 subsidised LPG refills each.

Fifteen consumers received 10 subsidised LPG refills each while nine consumers have already received 9 subsidised LPG refills each.

Thirty six consumers have received 8 subsidised LPG refills each while fifty eight consumers have received seven subsidised LPG refills each.

There are 68 consumers who have received six subsidised LPG refills each while there are 166 consumers who have been issued five LPG refills each during the said period.

Subsidy amount has not been credited to the bank accounts of 16 consumers out of 58 consumers who have received 7 subsidised LPG refills, two consumers among 68 consumers who have received six LPG refills, and three consumers among the 166 consumers who have received three LPG refills.

Other consumers have received the subsidy amount through their bank accounts.

It may be mentioned that out of about 256970 DBTL consumers in the State, there is a DBTL consumer who has received just 12 subsidised LPG refills in about three years, which is from 2012 till 2015.of Phungyo Baptist Church Matthew Mung during the felicitation.