Acute shortage of LPG in Kumaon

BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, January 29

Kumaon is facing an LPG crisis due to improper supply of gas cylinders by over 33 agencies, sources at the LPG distribution office of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) said here today.

“We need 3 lakh LPG cylinders in a month for 6.10 lakh consumers in the region. Despite daily supply of 11,500 LPG cylinders by the bottling plant at Motahaldu, we have a backlog of over 20,000 cylinders since last week,” said RS Bisht, in charge of the LPG office at KMVN. According to a KMVN officer, the backlog has occurred due to mismanagement by 33 agencies given the work of distribution of LPG cylinders in the region.

“We are working to improve services provided by these agencies. People at several places are on a warpath in the wake of non-supply of LPG cylinders on their doorstep,” said Bisht. Besides non-availability of LPG cylinders, consumers in several districts of the region are complaining about non-receipt of LPG subsidy in their respective banks accounts under direct benefit transfer scheme.

“I was supplied a non-subsidised LPG cylinder for Rs 760 last week. Despite filling a DBTL form and getting a message from the bank concerned, I did not receive subsidy in my account,” said Govind Singh Bisht, a resident of Bithoria locality in Haldwani. Some consumers attributed non-receipt of LPG subsidy to indifferent working of banks.

“We have deposited 13,000 forms under the scheme with several banks. These banks have not linked over 4,460 forms with the scheme, resulting in delay in subsidy reaching the consumers’ accounts,” said Hemant Arya, manager of a gas agency at Rudarpur.