SHILLONG: LPG cylinder users, who have their consumer numbers prefixed with alphabets, can relax for now as they do not need to book refill cylinders via SMS.
If one’s consumer number is C/1234 (or prefixed with any other alphabet), then the person need not opt for SMS booking of cylinder.
Longkmie Gas Agency in Greater Laban has made SMS booking mandatory for only those consumers whose numbers do not have an alphabetic prefix.
Before Longkmie, Riwar Mihngi Indane Gas Agency had made SMS booking mandatory. However, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) authorities in Guwahati had claimed that SMS booking is one of the many options available to customers. But gas agencies in the city are implementing their own rules as they are only insisting on SMS booking and discouraging customers from counter or phone booking.
Consumers of Longkmie said they were informed by the gas agency that for the time being, consumer numbers with alphabets are excluded from SMS refill booking since the designated destination mobile number does not have the option to accept alphabet affixed numbers.
But this is only for a temporary period since the authorities are working on accommodating consumers with varied numbers. Consumers who have to book their refill LPG cylinders via SMS even had a harrowing time since the IVRS number was not working properly.
Meanwhile, consumers of Riwar Mihngi have complained that this gas agency is allegedly flouting delivery of domestic LPG cylinders to customers’ doorsteps with impunity. According to these customers, the agency parks its truck at a particular place and forces consumers to collect their cylinders from there.
The consumers have urged the East Khasi Hills DC to take action against the unfair practice as the district administration has a genuine task in hand. It is learnt that due to this point delivery — which has been done away with by the district administration — consumers are facing many hardships. The district administration was urged to stop this unlawful practice.
