M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Nov 14: The price of 14.2 kg of domestic LPG cylinder costs much more in Palamu than in Saraikela Kharsawan or East Singhbhum in Jharkhand. It is perhaps due to the transportation cost coming on the cylinders.
As of now, the cost is Rs 1,110.50 per domestic LPG cylinder in Palamu while it is Rs 1,093 in Saraikela Kharsawan and Rs 1,092.50 in East Singhbhum. Chatra district pegs its price at Rs 1,109.50 while Hazaribagh is costlier by Rs 2 more than Palamu.
The price of domestic LPG cylinders in November is the same as in October in Palamu.
Since LPG cylinders come by road and not train, this is one prime reason for adding to the overall cost of the cylinder.
Domestic LPG cylinder consumers are already burdened with the rising cost of the filled cylinder and now there is a recovery of Rs 236 for the mandatory inspection of the LPG gas installation like quality and fitting of the gas stove /oven, burner, pipe, regulator etc.
Hindustan Petroleum which has 13 gas agencies in Palamu has started this mandatory inspection of the domestic LPG gas installations.
A popular and the oldest HP gas agency dealer of Swarna Enterprises Awadh Kumar Pandey in Daltonganj said, “This service charge of Rs 236 is set by Hindustan Petroleum. It is for the mandatory inspection of the installation from Chulha to pipe to the regulator to the burner or the setting of the gas set up etc.”
He further said, “Our consumers should not be doubtful of this mandatory inspection. It is to be done once in 5 years. They should cooperate with the mandatory inspection. Trained HP mechanic will visit the consumer’s house and inspect the installation as to where the gas stove is, how is the condition of the pipe, burner or regulator etc,” added Pandey.
Hindustan Petroleum revised the service charge on September 1, 2019. Earlier the service charge was Rs 150. The present service charge is Rs 200 and 18 per cent GST which takes it to Rs 236.
Even the poor beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjawla Yojana have not been exempted from the mandatory inspection fee which is 59 rupees and here too the GST is of 9 rupees. Thus, the beneficiaries who have stopped using LPG cylinders for almost two years are to pay GST and service charge of the mandatory inspection worth Rs 59.
There are over 3 lakh beneficiaries of the PM Ujjawla Yojana in Palamu and more than 33 lakh in Jharkhand (including Palamu) and this service charge of even Rs 59, when 99 per cent of such beneficiaries have stopped buying refills over the last two years, proves a big financial stress for these beneficiaries.
Sources said the domestic LPG gas users have urged the Oil India Companies like HP, Bharat Petroleum, etc to put off this service charge till the price of the LPG cylinder comes within the range of buying of the middle-class family and poor beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjawla Yojana.
There is a growing demand for a moratorium period of at least 6 months when this service charge of the mandatory inspection is put on hold. Installation and demonstration charges for the new connection to the domestic LPG cylinder are worth Rs 118 which is Rs 18 GST and Rs 100 for the service charge.
