GUWAHATI, May 5 � The Kamrup (Metro) district administration has instructed the LPG distributors to streamline the distribution of cooking gas cylinders and ensure hundred per cent home delivery to the consumers.
A meeting of the administration chaired by Deputy Commissioner Ashutosh Agnihotri with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) officials, LPG distributors and Food and Civil Supply officials on Friday took several decisions aimed at checking the ongoing black-marketing and shortage of LPG cylinders.
As per a decision of the meeting, the IOC would continue bottling even on next Sunday (May 6) and ensure supply of 30,000 cylinders to the distributors that very day. Next Monday, another 15,000 cylinders would be distributed so that by end of the coming week, the situation is brought to normal vis-�-vis availability of cooking gas.
The distributors were asked to maintain transparency in serial release of cylinders to consumers as per booking date and to keep the consumers informed of the delivery order.
The Food and Civil Supply Department was instructed to intensify its operation against hoarders and black-marketeers.
Earlier, on Thursday, the Consumers Legal Protection Forum had submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro) seeking his intervention in the artificial cooking gas crisis.
The forum said that the present artificial shortage of LPG cylinders has created havoc in the city.
�The Gauhati High Court had asked State Govt and IOCL to ensure that consumers are not inconvenienced because of non-availability of LPG cylinders to the extent possible after setting a minimum booking time of seven days and a supply time of 7 days,� Ajoy Hazarika, a functionary of the forum had said.
It needs to be mentioned here that according to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order, 2000, every consumer should get the refill cylinder at the doorstep within a stipulated time.
On Wednesday, the Cotton College Union Society (CCUS) had demonstrated in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro), in protest against the artificial shortage of LPG cylinders in the city.
The students of the college had taken to the streets and marched towards the office of the DC, demanding immediate respite for the LPG consumers. Earlier, angry consumers on Wednesday morning indulged in vandalism at the Pinakshi Gas Agency near the Chandmari flyover, accusing the gas agency authorities of indulging in unethical practices and depriving the legitimate consumers of LPG. Police had to intervene to bring the situation under control.
