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Title: Need to ensure supply of Cooking Gas in time.
SHRI J.M. AARON RASHID : In Tamil Nadu, the LPG customers are suffering due to delayed supply of cooking gas cylinders. The customers can book for gas only after 30 days from the previous date of supply and the gas refills are being supplied only after 5-10 days. This is the practice for the past two years. Earlier, during the BJP’s rule, they have had good supplies; pro-BJP officers are there in the Department and they are causing inconvenience to the general public.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Do not bring party politics at this late hour.
SHRI J.M. AARON RASHID : Sir, they are causing hindrance to the general public by delaying the supplies. This has caused extreme hardship to all the housewives. The supply criterion is the same for both single and double cylinder holders. As a result, the second cylinder does not serve any purpose as a standby cylinder, as it cannot be refilled and is left empty always. The hardship faced by the households in general is more acute during this winter and festival season. As you know, Bakrid is coming, Christmas is coming, New Year is coming and Pongal is coming, but the refills are not given properly to the households. The rural households are facing one more hardship to get their supplies. Most of the rural villages are being catered by the nearest urban distributors.
MR. CHAIRMAN: You need not reply to your own submission! If you want to read, you may place it on the Table of the House.
SHRI J.M. AARON RASHID : This is important.
MR. CHAIRMAN: I never expect a reply from you.
SHRI J.M. AARON RASHID : In urban cities, there is no alternative fuel available to the customers, in the absence of an uninterrupted cooking gas supply.
*The people in small income groups, in case they get gas connection from Government oil Companies are not able to get Kerosene from Public Distribution System as their ration cards indicate the same. They are denied Kerosene. Booking of gas cylinders and refills require production of ration cards. This causes great inconvenience and hardships to people in the small income groups and lower middle class when they want to exercise their options. There are many people who do not have ration cards. They suffer both ways.
* English translation of the speech originally delivered in Tamil
In the regulated supply system, oil companies have fixed per capita consumption for every customer arbitrarily and due to this, the supply of gas cylinders to the distributors has been reduced by 25 per cent when compared to last year. All these hardships faced by the customers, particularly housewives can be overcome, only if the oil companies take a realistic view of the regulated supply by adopting a realistic per capita offtake. All these restrictions on booking need to be necessarily removed, to save the housewife from the mental agony she is going through due to this short supply of LPG.
I request the hon. Minister, through you, Sir, to restore the supplies immediately and give them sufficient supplies.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Are you satisfied now?
SHRI J.M. AARON RASHID : Yes, Sir.
SHRI KHARABELA SWAIN : You always try to shout us down, but we only come to your rescue!
MR. CHAIRMAN: The House stands adjourned to meet again tomorrow, the 19th December, 2006 at 11 a.m.
21.44 hrs. The Lok Sabha then adjourned till Eleven of the Clock
on Tuesday, December 19, 2006/Agrahayana 28,1928 (Saka).
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