Peter Chachei
Dimapur
consumers continue to experience shortage of liquefied petroleum gas and relative soaring demand for filled cooking gas cylinders. Distributor of KT Gas Agency, Dimapur attributed it primarily to the diversion of filled cylinders which are being traded in the black market with a much higher price. “The limited cylinders that are been supplied by the Indian Oil Company (IOC) to the distributing agencies are been diverted to be sold at black market which has contributed to the shortage in the availability of cooking gas in the city” said the city distributor who manages to satisfy 1200 customers with a limited supply of only 918 cylinders per month.
“As far as my knowledge is concerned I think the role in selling out filled cylinders by some middlemen must be done away, then I think every card holder might get their entitled share without much struggling” says an housewife Alemla, who for the third day is surviving without cooking gas in her kitchen.
There are five (5) agencies supplying LPG cylinders in and around Dimapur city and one (1) at Chumukedima with around 105 truck loads been supplied every month in an average @ 306 cylinders per truck load, yet it seems that the shortage of supply continues in comparison to its demand.
Another factor contributing to shortage of domestic cooking gas has been attributed to the use of domestic cylinders for commercial purposes particularly in the commercial hub. “The use of domestic cylinders and not those commercial cylinders in the hostels, restaurants, etc, has contributed a lot to the fall in the availability of domestic cooking gas in the market” said one who runs an agency in Dimapur. He continued, “If the law enforcing authority could take up this issue seriously and enforce only commercial cylinders for any business purposes then I think that the shortage rate will considerably decline”.
The Dimapur administration along with the IOC officials lately, have been detaining all those using domestic cylinders for commercial purposes around the commercial hub. Recently 59 LPG cylinders were seized today from various restaurants and hotels by the district administration assisted by IOC officials and East Police personnel, but despite the district administration effort to curtail the use of domestic LPG cylinders, the trend seems to continue adding to an acute disparity in the supply and availability of cylinders for the domestic consumers. “If I have to go for that commercial one then the price for refilling it will cost me at around Rs. 850 whereas I get those filled domestic cylinders by around Rs. 305 or with even Rs. 450 (black market price)” says one tea-stall owner at a particular terminus here in the city. At market the cylinders arranged for commercial uses which are of 19 kilos cost Rs. 850 per refill whereas only Rs. 310 for the domestic cooking cylinder which is of 14.2 kilos and only with a disparity of 5 kgs.
IOC sources at the refilling (bottling) plant here at Dimapur said that the plan to further increasing the amount of LPG cylinders to be refilled is not in the picture at present as the infrastructure does not allow it to do so. It was informed that the present rate of refilling is being done with an excess of about 30% from which the plant is actually designed for. Around 1836 cylinders (in average) are refilled everyday which are being distributed to Phughoboto, Phek, Wokha, Pfutsero, Kohima, Chumukedima and Dimapur.
