One of the biggest problems faced by residents of the city is the timely supply of LPG refill cylinders. There have been numerous and repeated complaints about the delays in supply of LPG cylinders and issue of new connections.
LPG distributing agencies in the city have always pointed out to shortage in supply of domestic LPG cylinders for the delays.
However, in a surprising revelation, it has been found that many people engaged in the catering service business in the city are illegally using domestic LPG cylinders for their catering assignments.
There is credible information that not only small entrepreneurs but even some major catering houses are illegally using domestic LPG cylinders to ensure maximum benefit.
The Shillong Times has managed to establish that a leading party decorator in Polo has been using domestic cylinders for their catering businesses.
It was found that there was a huge stock of domestic cylinders stocked in the godown of party decorators in Polo Hills.
This scribe asked one of the staff of the firm if they were involved in supply of domestic LPG cylinders to the consumers.
The staff however replied that the LPG cylinders are meant for their own use. When asked about the purpose of keeping such a huge stock of domestic LPG cylinders in the go down, the staff replied that they were using these domestic LPG cylinders for their catering assignments.
This incident is however not an isolated case.
Many small fast food centres and restaurants in the city are also using domestic LPG cylinders which ultimately results in shortage of domestic cylinder for the consumers.
These cases of illegal usage of domestic LPG cylinders for commercial purposes poses a serious question on whether the Food and Civil Supplies department is sincerely conducting their mandatory surprise raids to find out if the business establish-ments have been using domestic LPG cylinders.
In the light of the fact, doubts are being raised on whether the Food and Civil Supplies department is totally unaware of the illegal use of domestic cylinders for commercial purposes or whether the officials and staff of the department are hands in glove with these commercial catering firms.
Another doubt may be cast on the intentions of the LPG distributors in the city who may be in connivance with the caterers.
People in the know-how of things say that after the streamlining of LPG cylinders was introducted, it has become difficult for a general consumer to get access to an LPG cylinder, whereas the ground reality is that cylinders are still available in the black market for rates upward of Rs 800. This goes to prove that the staff of the gas agencies are in nexus with these black marketeers.
There have been complaints from consumers that they do not receive cylinders in time even after making the necessary booking within the stipulated time as directed by the authorities concerned.
As per the directive of the Deputy Commissioner (Supply), the LPG cylinder would be delivered to the consumers within 15 days from the date of booking. But many of the consumers are complaining that they are not getting their LPG refill cylinders even after 30 days of the booking.
“We are always facing the problem of not getting the cylinders on time. We have to wait for more than 30 days after we have done our booking to get a refill delivery,” a consumer from Laitumkhrah said.
Another consumer from Nongthymmai also highlighted similar difficulties over the delay in the delivery of the LPG cylinders. “There is always a delay in the delivery of the LPG cylinders. Whenever we call up the concerned distributor they would always blame it on the shortage of LPG cylinders,” the consumer added.
During the recently-concluded Assembly Budget Session, legislator Manas Chaudhuri had raised the issue of anomalies relating to the Governments to Citizens (G2C) services.
While referring specifically to the untimely distribution of LPG cylinder to the consumers, Chaudhuri had said that the people in the urban areas are being made to suffer due to the untimely delivery of the LPG by the concerned dealer.
Even though there is an assurance that the delivery times are 15 days, he said that it is sad to see that consumers do not get a cylinder even after a month.
(By Lamphrang Nongspung)