Consumers at the receiving end

KOCHI: For Sajan Joseph of Ponnekkara, making a phone call to the gas agency to enquire about the delivery status of LPG cylinder has become a routine affair.Like him, many others calling up gas agencies to know about the delivery status of LPG cylinders are  getting the same old reply that, “There is a shortage of cylinders and a lot of delivery is pending. You will get it in a couple of days.”While gas distribution agencies and oil companies point out various reasons for the delay in providing LPG cylinders to the consumers, the city police say that gas cylinders are being sold in the black market.“We have seized over 400 cylinders from various places in the city in the last two years. The seizure was made after the Shadow Police team conducted raids at hotels and restaurants based on specific intelligence inputs,” said Kochi City Special Branch Assistant Commissioner M Shamsu Illikkal. He said that there was a nexus between gas agencies and suppliers to sell the cylinders in the black market. “There is a huge demand for domestic LPG cylinders in the black market. Many hotels and eateries are using domestic cylinders instead of commercial cylinders. There are agents who enter into tie-ups with gas agencies to divert domestic cylinders for commercial purpose. The agents get a commission of Rs 150 per cylinder while the agency gets an additional amount of Rs 200 per cylinder,” he said. Illikkal said that the Shadow Police team had strengthened their surveillance to check the misuse of LPG cylinders. “We need the support of the public to tackle the issue. The public should alert the police if they come across any such incident. They can call at 0484-2385002 and share information,” he said.