Parliamentary committee in Gangtok to review LPG shortage issue

A high level standing committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas, Parliament of India has arrived in the capital to review the problems of LPG shortage in Sikkim. The delegation is spearheaded by Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the committee, Shri Aruna Kumar.

Officials of Indian Oil Corporation already arrived a day before and held meetings with Chief Secretary and Secretary for Food & Supply.

Recently the people of Sikkim faced an acute shortage of LPG cylinders, both domestic and commercial. The delegation is here to assess the situation and to find out how it can be best handled.

The LPG domestic refill requirement of is 5292 cylinders per day but only 3500 cylinders, sometime even less are supplied in the state. With touristic season reaching to its peak demand for commercial cylinders is also intense.

At present there are seven distributors in Sikkim and two trucks carrying 252 LPG cylinders off loads per distributor.

Sikkim government also distributes, 6400 LPG connections to people living below poverty line and near forest areas through its Janta Mela Scheme every year. But shortage in day to distribution of cylinders makes situation graver for such welfare schemes.

Major area of concern where the committee will focus on is the production constraint of LPG plant at Mazitar. Whatsoever number of bulk used to come to Mazitar Plant three years ago, same number of bulk is being received these days too. Moreover, break-down of the chain at Mazitar plant is a regular phenomena resulting non-supply.

Committie will also look on to the recommendations by Mr. P.D Rai, Member of Parliament from Sikkim. In his recommendations to committee MP proposed IOC to set up a second plant at Melli which will cater to the need of South/West Sikkim in future. MP also recommended reviewing the quota of LPG cylinder for Sikkim as lot many people working on many projects in the state also constitute in the total population using LPG. Storage facility at plant waiting for technical assistance and commissioning should be expedited is also proposed.