The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Oil firms asked to launch net booking for cooking gas refills

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 10, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Oil firms asked to launch net booking for cooking gas refills

Staff Reporter

Asked to provide details of availability, delay on websites

— Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

Customer-centric: C.N. Mahesvaran, Joint Commissioner, Department of Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, addressing an LPG consumer grievance redressal meeting in Chennai on Monday.

CHENNAI: Oil marketing companies must ensure greater transparency with regard to norms related to issue of new liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) connections and refill bookings by households. The companies should also become more consumer-friendly, said C.N. Mahesvaran, Joint Commissioner, Department of Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection.

Addressing an LPG consumer grievance redressal meeting organised here on Monday by the department, he urged the oil companies to launch internet bookings for refills and accept applications for new connections online. The companies could also provide details about the “availability, demand and probable delay in supplying of the refills on their websites.” The cooking gas agencies could also send text messages (SMS) to consumers giving the possible date of supply.

He said the companies must focus on prompt delivery of the refills. A team would be formed by the department to prepare a report on the consumer grievances relating to LPG supply. He also urged the public to send suggestions to the department on ways to make refill bookings hassle-free.

Complaints ranging from delay in delivery to issues in receiving new LPG connections were brought to the notice of the group of officials from the three oil marketing companies — IOC, BPCL and HPCL — who attended the meeting. To a question from one of the consumers about the difficulties faced in contacting the LPG agency over the phone, Mr. Mahesvaran said agencies should use caller ID devices and call back those customers later. K. Kasturi, a homemaker from Chromepet, complained that valves in cylinders are sometimes faulty, resulting in gas leak. A. Annamalai, Deputy Commissioner (North) of the Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department, said consumers must insist on pre-delivery checks to prevent such problems.

A few consumers also complained that there is a huge backlog in the refill cylinder supplies, particularly during festival times. Since this is a yearly pattern and also driven by the seasonal changes, the consumers wanted the oil companies to be prepared to meet a surge in the demand.

Responding to a complaint on issues in refunding the deposits, D. Srinivasan, deputy general manager, BPCL, said that in the event of the death of the connection holder without any legal heir, the deposit is forfeited.

M. Balasubramanian, Deputy Commissioner (South) of the department; IOC Senior Manager (LPG) T.K. Gnanasambandan; Chief Manager (LPG) C. Nagarajan; HPCL Chief Manager (LPG) A. Jacob Brian and All Indian LPG Distributors’ Federation general secretary Dakshinamoorthy were present at the meeting. Over 100 consumers submitted complaints to the officials.

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