The much-hyped policy directive of timely and hassle-free delivery of cooking gas right at the doorstep of the consumers by the Ministry of Petroleum has proved hollow since some distributors operate by their whims.
Arbitrary, discriminatory and irregular delivery of cooking gas by some of the local distributors has spread discontent among the consumers here in the silk city.
Senior advocate and resident of Dr Powel Street, KP Acharya expressed his anger over his gas distributor M/s Utkal Indane at Aska Road for receiving Indane Gas refills irregularly.
He alleged that for last one year, the local distributor had been harassing and creating problems in delivering the refill cylinder at his door step and when he wanted to know the reason, he often gave baseless and fabricated answers.
The distributor was delaying home delivery on sheer pretext of ‘insufficient stock of refills or door closed, Acharya said, adding that his family members were available at home round the clock and hence, the question of ‘door closed’ was baseless. He used to book for refill cinder always online using company’s IVRS system. In spite of the fact that he got acknowledgement message in support of his booking and thereafter a message pertaining to the generation of cash receipt, but when it comes to delivering the refill gas cylinder at doorstep, there was always a problem.
Another consumer who is a senior citizen of Gandhinagar who did not wish to be identified, said the delivery man was earning thousands of rupees a day illegally probably encouraged by their distributors/gas agencies. In the silk city, the delivery men used to demand between Rs 20-30 for delivery of each refill cylinder, even though it should be done free.
He said if a consumer refused to pay as per the demand, the delivery was often delayed further deliberately causing inconvenience to the consumer. The distributors who ought to depute their staffs at the doorstep of consumers periodically for checking leakage in cylinder never did so, the senior citizen alleged.
