Illegal sales of subsidised LPG still going on in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Despite introduction of the modified Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) or PAHAL scheme to check black marketing of LPG, the illegal sales of domestic cooking gas continues unabated thanks to dismal enforcement. A clear nexus between deliverymen and customers has been found. Sources in the industry say that often even gas agencies give extra cylinders to deliverymen so that they can make some extra money. Anyone can get a full cylinder as long as they have an empty one. It does not make a difference whether they have a connection or not.

Gas agencies book unused quota of cylinders in the name of customers who have not used them without their consent and they are sold in the black market. The consumer will know about this booking only when he receives an SMS. “Manual booking of cylinders at gas agencies is possible in case a person does not have a mobile phone and is not registered,” said HPCL chief manager-LPG Madhukar Ingole. He added that the provision of manually booking cylinders was being continued by all oil companies.

But gas disribution agencies rejected the charges. A resident of Trimulgherry, who recently came to the city from Lucknow, said, “I had to transfer my connection and that takes time. So I contacted a local gas deliveryman. He agreed to give me an Indane cylinder for Rs 1,050. The only thing he asked me was to arrange an empty cylinder. Since I don't have one I borrowed one from my neighbour.”

“This is absolute ignorance and negligence on the part of consumers. When new connections are available free of cost without any problems why are they are opting for such illegal practices?” asked Mr D. Ashok Kumar, the president of the Greater Hyderabad LPG Dealers Association.

He added that only consumers with multiple LPG connections were being scrutinised. Mr Kumar said they were keeping tabs on such activities and action would be taken. “We are encouraging online payments to rule out black marketing. If the gas agencies help deliverymen to make bookings without the consumers’ knowledge we will take action against them,” he said, adding that consumers who get SMS alerts about LPG bookings that they haven’t made should complain. Otherwise their quota cannot be reversed.