Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Nov 2: The High Court today directed the State Government to form a Task Force to monitor availability of the LPG in Kashmir division and asked the concerned authorities to expedite verification of documents for gas connections in the State for which it has directed extended time of completion by 2 months.
A division bench of the High Court, comprising Justices M Yaqoob Mir and Hasnain Masoodi, directed the Oil companies to make available both subsidised and non-subsidised LPG to the consumers as per the demand.
The bench took suo-moto cognizance of the LPG crisis in the State earlier this week and later converted into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
The court directed the Government to form a committee headed by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir to look into the need of increasing the number of LPG distribution outlets and dealerships.
The court directed the oil companies to accept the applications for verification of documents of gas connections through internet in order to make the process easier for the consumers.
The companies were also directed to open more counters for verification of documents and fixed only Identity proof and residence proof as the documents required for verification. The High Court also directed that verification be completed in two months time.
The Division Bench made Union of India, Union Petroleum Ministry and oil companies of HPCL, IOC and BP as parties in the PIL.
Earlier, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Dr Asgar Samoon told the High Court that the oil companies are not cooperating with the government in mitigating the LPG crisis.
In its affidavit filed before the High Court, Government said that there are only 43 LPG dealers in Kashmir division when there is need of 1400 as per the LPG connections in the division.
The affidavit said that there is requirement of 18, 000 LPG cylinders during winter and 14, 000 in summers per day but the availability is only 12, 634 per day supply resulting in the shortage of around 6000 per day.
The affidavit said that 25 percent consumers have no documents of LPG connections and have no refill facility availability as per the revised policy.
On Tuesday, the Government was directed by the HC to furnish details about the total requirement of gas cylinders to be distributed per day and the supply position.
The court had asked the Government to indicate in the affidavit mode and method for revalidating the papers of the consumers and the mode adopted for providing papers to the consumers, who possessed gas connections but did not have papers for one or the other reasons.
It asked the respondents to indicate in the affidavit the number of counters that have been opened in the Valley for providing necessary papers for collection of gas cylinders.
It had also directed that Government should tell the HC what the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir and CAPD Department is taking for exercising effective control for proper distribution of LPG and for avoiding chance of monopoly of LPG trade by dealers.
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