LPG Cylinder & Subsidy

Before 1985 across country wood and Kerosene were used affluently as fuel in the Kitchens whether it was commercial or domestic, then gradually LPG Cylinder remove wood and Kerosene and right now more then seventy five percent kitchens are dependent on LPG Cylinder to cook. In the country LPG Cylinder are available in below coded categories – 

•  Domestic
• Commercial

Government of India is bearing 344.17 rupees as subsidy on every domestic Gas Cylinder based on estimated average subsidy of Financial year 2011-12 , and recently as per words of Finance Minister Government of India will shrink the overall flow of subsidies to the general public to 2 percent of GDP, so people of the country should ready to live without subsidies, and rumour was in the air that Government of India will come up with policy either customers will get six to seven cylinders during one year with subsidies and for rest of their requirement of LPG Cylinders they have to pay money as per market price or every consumers of the country will get LPG Cylinder as per market price but deserving consumers will get subsidy through refund of money in their bank accounts. In the country there are three companies which are marketing the LPG Cylinders –

• Bharat Gas
• Indane Gas
• HP Gas

As per norms of the above mentioned companies every consumer can book LPG Cylinder after the gap of twenty one days when they received booked cylinder and then Gas Agencies give time of seven to ten days of delivery depending on the weather (during summer season it can be deliver before five days and during winter season it touches ten days times), plus if any consumer needs more LPG Cylinder before specific time due to function or any ceremony then Gas Agency dealers denies to give any cylinder and even don’t bother to book cylinder, then in this scenario consumers has to make arrangements at its own either by getting cylinders from its known circle or by purchasing it from grey market in black but for this need to loosen its pocket almost double the amount from its actual cost., and when time comes to book cylinder its quite common scene at almost all the agencies across country that dealer does not receive the phone no doubt in some parts of the country consumers have benefits of booking online or through SMS.

    Recently on 22^nd June,2012 Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Mr. Jaipal Reddy, launches website-

 http://www.bharatpetroleum.com/Transparency_portal/LPG_portal.html

which contains details of every category of consumers like Gas booking date, Order number, Delivery date, subsidy amount consumers get on every Cylinder etc. etc. known as Transparency Portal which is maintained by concerned marketing company, shockingly it was reveal through website that our political representatives are getting LPG Cylinders superseding norms set by marketing companies, below is list of top such names who get LPG Cylinders during last year period

1. Naveen Jindal - 369 Cylinders
2. Vice President Hamid Ansari - 171 Cylinders
3. Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur - 161 Cylinders
4. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna - 83 Cylinders
5. BJP leader Rajnath Singh - 80 Cylinders
6. Former Union Minister M S Gill -  79 Cylinders
7. BJP MP Maneka Gandhi – 63 Cylinders
8. Suresh Kalmadi of  INC – 63 Cylinders
9. Mulayam Singh Yadav SP - 58 Cylinders
10. Syed Sahanawaz Hussain BJP – 56 Cylinders
11. Sharad Yadav JDU - 49 Cylinders
12. BSP chief Mayawati – 45 Cylinders
13. Ram Vilas Paswan -45 Cylinders
14. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot -  45 Cylinders
15. Lalu Prasad Yadav RJD – 43 Cylinders
16. Former Telecom Minister A Raja - 42 Cylinders
17. Oil Minister S Jaipal Reddy - 26 Cylinders

It is surprising to code here that subsidies are mean for general public is siphon off by leaders and in this case they are not only getting misuse of subsidies plus also become source to tarnish the norms set by companies, but norm or law should be equal to every citizen of the country whether he/she is common citizen or comes under influence category.