Gas agencies charge inflated amounts for LPG connection, say customers

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, January 9: Allegations go that the gas agencies which give LPG connections in Guwahati make their customers to pay inflated cost, and sometimes by selling a number of frills that are not mandatory.

 Customers allege that most of the gas agencies charge Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 for the connection with double cylinders against the actual amount which does not exceed Rs 4,000.

Talking to newsmen recently, IOCL’s chief area  mager of Guwahati area office, Jayanta Madhab, said: “For a connection with single cylinder (14.2 kg) the charges of fees are Rs 1,150 security deposit, administration charge of Rs 50, a regulator costing Rs 100, a book of Rs 50, a pipe of Rs 120–150, Rs 200 as inspection charge and Rs 417 as the price of a filled cylinder. And the total amount doesn’t exceed Rs 2,100.” For the connection of double cylinders, according to the chief area mager, most of charges are same, barring the charges of the extra cylinder and its extra security deposit. “In this case too, the total amount shouldn’t exceed Rs 4,000,” he said.

The area mager further said: “Frills like a gas lighter, a stove etc., aren’t mandatory. A customer can buy such frills from the market too.”

However, there are allegations that some gas agencies sell a number of such frills showing them as  mandatory.