LPG agencies charge extra money
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 17 2011:
LPG agencies have reportedly been charging extra money higher than the price fixed by the IOC for enrolment of new customers.
Gas agencies have been charging Rs 4500 to Rs 5800 inclusive of the price of a gas stove and one cylinder for enrolment of a new customer.
However, these prices vary from one LPG agency to another.
Some agencies even charge up to Rs 8800 for a new enrolment with double cylinders.
All these dubious dealings came to light when one Ayekpam Kishorjit of Haobam Marak Irom Leikai filed an application under the RTI Act.
A Kishorjit filed an RTI application to the State Public Information Officer (SPIO) of the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department seeking certain information about enrolment with LPG agencies as new customers.
Subsequently, CAF & PD SPIO referred the matter to IOC's CPIO AC Sharma.
According to the information provided by AC Sharma, the IOC took only Rs 900 for a single cylinder and Rs 100 for pressure regulator for each new enrolment.
In addition, the IOC got Rs 435 as agency charge for towns having population of below 10 lakhs.
For towns having population between 10 lakhs to 20 lakhs, the rate
is Rs 510 .
While some agencies have been charging extra money for enrolment of new customers, some other LPG agencies have been giving only the new enrolment gas book without cylinder, gas stove and regulator.
As cylinders costing Rs 900 are not given to the new customers, some LPG agencies have been selling off the cylinders in black market, informed a source.