Around 8,300 LPG connections in Dakshina Kannada could be permanently disconnected as their users have submitted commercial electricity meter numbers (called RR numbers) to the government.
Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies Sharanabasappa told The Hindu on Wednesday that the department had collected information on meters from Mangalore Electricity Company (MESCOM) and separately collected the RR numbers during the drive launched a few months ago to weed out illegal LPG connections.
Tally
When the National Informatics Centre (NIC) tallied the two, it was found that over 8,300 connections in Dakshina Kannada were given to premises where commercial electric meters had been installed.
He said it was presumed that such LPG connections were used for industrial or commercial purpose. Where this assumption was not true, the families concerned could approach the department for remedy, which might undertake verification of the premises in question.
He said over 60 households from Attavara in Mangalore said they were given commercial electricity meters 15 or 20 years ago and they could not be denied LPG connections now.
Mr. Sharanabasappa said this fact had been brought to the notice of his higher ups in Bangalore and a clarification was expected in a day or two. Some government quarters and residential complexes of big companies too had commercial meters.
Suspend connections
The department was clear that the connections would be suspended forever where there was no representation from people or if LPG users failed to update the data with domestic RR numbers. Hypothetically, it was possible that some people had multiple meters, including some commercial ones. It was possible that they were using domestic LPG connections but had submitted the wrong RR number. Such people could submit correct RR numbers immediately.
Mr. Sharanabasappa said people could check whether the phrase LT1 or LT2 was mentioned on the electricity bills. All electric meters with these phrases were domestic electric connections and rest (LT3 and above) were commercial. The law was clear that only the households could be given LPG connections and households generally do not have commercial electric meters installed, he added.
