Govt rejects LPG dealers’ plea to give consumers more time to furnish papers

With the festive season just beginning, catastrophe may hit your kitchen if you have not furnished relevant documents to the LPG dealer.

Citing that consumers were given ample time to furnish relevant documents, Dr Govindappa, commissioner, food and civil supplies department, refused to further extend time for them.

MK Iyappa, deputy commissioner (Bangalore Urban) said: “In Bangalore, we will be cancelling 151,272 consumers. If the consumer furnishes relevant documents before we officially announce the cancellations, we will not cancel their connections.”

There are 138 LPG dealers in the city and all of them are worried about the consequences they may face once the department cancels all illegal connections.

“Each of us has 4,000 to 5000 customers. Even if LPG connections to 100 consumers are suspended, they will mob our dealership. We fear this will have frightening repercussions,” said Capt MM Harish, member, managing committee, Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry and member of Bharath Gas Association.

Three associations of LPG dealers—Indian Oil Corp, Bharath Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum—pleaded with the department on Monday seeking more time for the consumers to furnish papers.

“There are various segments of consumers like senior citizens and uneducated persons some of whom cannot understand these legal issues.  How will they furnish documents? We are still in the process of making them understand the system. If the state government takes a decision like this, it will also hamper our customer relations,” said Capt Lingaraju BL, national coordinator of All India LPG Distributors’ Association.

The dealers are questioning the legality of the process itself.
“We are still not sure if a customer should be given LPG connections on the basis of an electricity meter. This, we feel, is
absurd,” said Assunta Yesiah, president of LPG Distributor’s Association.

Even though the food and civil supplies department has rejected the LPG associations’ plea, the dealers have submitted an appeal and hope that their customers would be given more time.

“We’ve no power in the state. Now , there is no LPG too,” said Radhakrishna, president of All-India LPG Distributors Federation (Karnataka Circle).