Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 8: Acting on the complaints of consumers of LPG in Trikuta Nagar area, officers of Legal Metrology Department and Indian Oil Officer conducted on spot inspection of M/s Gulmohar Gas Agency at Green Belt Park, Gandhi Nagar.
According to Manoj Prabhakar, Deputy Controller Consumer Protection, large number of consumers were struggling at the dealer point for getting their gas booked as they complained that the dealer’s phone attendant was not responding to their phone calls and despite the booking being done physically, the gas was not delivered to them in time.
The team conducted inspection of the whole record of the dealer through transparency portal system and found that 17056 consumers were registered with the dealer belonging to the area of Gandhi Nagar, Trikuta Nagar, Bahu Fort, Shastri Nagar, Sanjay Nagar, Satwari Nagar and Jeevan Nagar. In all these areas, more than 880 consumers were waiting for their home delivery since December 23, 2013.
On further scrutinizing the records, it was found that the dealer was creating such problems in the past also and to streamline, Indian Oil Corporation has cut the area of Preet Nagar, Digiana and Gangyal from the dealer & assigned the duty of distribution to other dealer but still there was no improvement in delivery system as there were only 177 filled cylinders were lying with the dealer.
The Deputy Controller gave on spot directions to the senior officers of IOC to enhance the supply of filled cylinders and immediately additional 276 filled cylinders were dispatched to cater today’s booking of 362 consumers. To cover up the back log, it was directed that additional supplies of 800 filled cylinders over and above the normal quota be made available within 2 days.
The Deputy Controller further asked the dealer to immediately display mobile numbers of all his delivery man area wise in print media and prominently outside the showroom for the information of consumers so that they can do booking through SMS. Further directions were passed to provide transfer vouchers to the consumers who have been shifted to the other dealers.
The IOC officers were asked to work out immediately the delivery infrastructure of the dealer in proportion to the number of consumers registered with the dealer and if needed the area of the dealer must be restructured. The oil company was further asked to educate people regarding PDT (Preferred Delivery Time) system to facilitate the consumers where both husband and wife are working and there is nobody at home to take delivery.