: Oil companies have been getting distress calls from consumers after cooking gas agencies refuse to deliver LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders when they are not paid Rs. 150 towards mandatory safety checks.
Gas agencies are supposed to check the safety of the LPG installations once in two years, and the checks are supposed to be done by either gas delivery boys or by technicians.
Apprehensions
“The delivery boy brought the cylinder but when we refused to pay Rs. 150, he took away the cylinder. Our friends told us not to pay the amount. We did not know what to do or whom to call,” said a home-maker in Thiruvanmiyur.
Another senior citizen said his gas agency had collected Rs. 75 from him in January and February, and again demanded Rs. 150 last month. “When I asked them what this amount was for, the delivery boy said it was for the check due in 2017. It sounded like a hoodwinking scheme, so I refused to pay him and he went away with the cylinder,” he said.
Consumer activist T. Sadagopan said that many consumers were unaware of the mandatory checks. “In several cases, bookings are cancelled when they refuse to pay the Rs.150. And the delivery boy or technician does not even check. They just walk into the house and demand the money. Oil companies must do an IEC (information, education, communication) campaign to educate consumers,” he said.
Checks necessary
Oil industry sources explained that the safety checks were mandatory and this has been mentioned in the instructions provided to consumers. Similar checks are conducted before installing the LPG connections at homes. The hose is checked for leaks, the stove is also checked if it is in proper working condition, and consumers are instructed to not have curtains near the stove.
“We have asked agencies to inform consumers before sending people for checks. The delivery boys too have been told to explain about the mandatory checks properly to the consumers,” explained an official.
