SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 2024
Team Herald
GOACAN is deeply concerned about the increase in cases of LPG theft and refilling water in gas cylinders and has decided to launch a statewide campaign from 15th March, World Consumer Rights Day, to make consumers aware of this reality.
Over the last two years there has been a steady rise in complaints from LPG consumers that they are receiving underweight domestic cylinders, after which the Department of Legal Metrology had conducted a series of raids across various Talukas and confirmed this reality.
The modus operandi used is to off load a small quantity of domestic LPG cylinders from the vehicle, where in 4kgs of LPG is removed from the cylinder, the seal is loosely refitted and the cylinder is delivered to consumers who are unaware of this theft.
After a series of raids by the Department of Legal Metrology and the detection of the theft as the cylinder delivered is underweight, the persons involved in the racket have devised a method to camouflage the theft, by refilling the cylinders with 4kgs of water so that there is no detection of an underweight cylinder.
The stolen LPG is then refilled in 5Kg domestic cylinders and sold to migrant labour and rent back apartments housing domestic tourists visiting Goa on weekends. The modus operandi adopted which steals LPG from the middle class & lower middle class consumers now poses a threat to fire safety.
The recent case detected in Panaji involving a commercial cylinder has shown the extent of the racket which has now affected the business community which owns small restaurants.
On receiving a complaint from Rama Naik who operates a restaurant in Panaji, that a commercial cylinder from Bharat Gas had lot of water in it, GOACAN contacted the Department of Legal Metrology and the Department of Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs and accordingly on 4th March 2024 the cylinder was inspected and subsequently seized and sealed.
The entire operation was carried out by the Legal Metrology Inspector Satish Gawas & Civil Supplies Inspector Tulshidas Dabholkar and their respective teams under the supervision of LM Assistant Controller D.N. Mapari and Civil Supplies Deputy Director Amit Sawant.
GOACAN has decided to take the awareness drive to the next level by involving the village based Consumer Forums and the campus based Consumer Welfare Clubs as well as the Amenities Committee of all Village Panchayats.
GOACAN has also decided to organise stakeholder consultations with the Bar & Restaurant Owners Association, GCCI Consumer Protection Committee and SHGs by collaborating with the Directorate of Food & Drug Administration, Controller Legal Metrology, Department of Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Directorate of Transport, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Directorate of Fire & Emergency Services and Goa Police.
The Consumer Awareness Program which will include LPG Safety tips, a demonstration on how this gas is extracted & how water is refilled in cylinders, steps to detect and report the crime on the Quick Response Numbers available will begin from 14th April National Fire Safety Day.
GOACAN is committed to protect & defend the rights of the LPG consumers and will use the Consumer Protection Act 2019, Legal Metrology Act & Packaged Commodities Rules and the Right to Information Act 2005 to expose those unscrupulous elements in the public sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMC's) who are aiding & abetting the theft of LPG in the State of Goa.
