Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU June 15: Topographic complexities are creating hurdles in hundred per cent coverage of the area under home delivery scheme for LPG distribution in notified town area committees in Jammu and Kashmir.
Notwithstanding the standing instructions of the Government and creation of additional infrastructure by the Natural Gas Agencies for home delivery, the exercise is facing practical problems in hilly towns of the State.
Owing to no road connectivity to some localities of notified town area committees, the Distribution Agencies are unable to provide home delivery in these pockets, official sources informed the Excelsior.
More than 20 per cent area is still uncovered in Jammu as well as in Kashmir divisions of the State where May 30 was the deadline for covering all the notified town area committees under the LPG Home Delivery scheme, sources added.
Pertinent to mention that the Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Choudhary Mohd Ramzan had directed Oil and Natural Gas companies to ensure LPG home delivery in all towns of Jammu Kashmir and May 30 was set as deadline for the same. The service is already implemented successfully in the capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar.
Even as the exercise in this regard, such as setting up required infrastructures and publicizing the contact number in print media of the respective gas agencies to facilitate the consumers, was initiated soon to meet the deadline, the topographic complexities of some hilly towns put hurdles in the complete success.
The distribution agencies are facing practical problems in hilly districts of Ramban, Doda, Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu province while similar difficulty is being faced in Kupwara, Gurez, Machail, Karnah and some other areas of Valley, sources explained.
When contacted, Director CAPD Jammu G S Chib and Director CAPD Kashmir M A Mir admitted that some pockets of the notified town area committees were still left uncovered owing to geographical conditions such as no road connectivity, narrow lanes and scattered population.
After both the capital cities, all the District headquarters have been covered but the problem is being faced in some pockets, particularly in hilly areas where home delivery is not possible due to no road connectivity, they said adding that there was no option other than to continue with the point delivery system for catering these areas.
The Government while setting deadline for launching the service in towns, had announced that there would be no point delivery in these areas in future.
In view of the prevailing situation and no hundred per cent success, the third phase of home delivery scheme under which rural areas within 15 kilometers from the notified area committees are to be covered from August this years, is also likely to face the same problem owing to no road connectivity.
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