The delivery boys of some LPG dealers in Karimnagar district are literally fleecing the consumers to the tune of several lakhs of rupees per month by collecting additional ‘transportation’ charges ranging between Rs 20 and 60 per refilled cylinder delivered at the door step.
Notwithstanding the direction by the oil companies that the dealers should not collect additional charges from the consumers against the stipulated MRP of Rs. 448 for each refilled cylinder in their respective operational areas, there are complaints galore from the consumers on the matter. The delivery boys are forcibly collecting Rs 22 to Rs 60 per cylinder at the time of door delivery.
In Karimnagar district there are 6,04,610 general LPG consumers and another 1,50,315 Deepam connections with 65 LPG dealers. Every month 3.14 lakh LPG connections are refilled in the district by various oil companies.
Suma, a housewife of Krishnagar locality in Karimnagar complains that the delivery boy demands Rs. 470 for cylinder and they don’t even weigh the cylinder through spring-scale machine. “If we complain, they harass us by not delivering the cylinder after booking, on the pretext that the door was locked,” she lamented. She urged the authorities to ensure that there was a check on the system of LPG dealers and delivery boys.
Another housewife Harsha Bai of Bank Colony says they were forced to pay Rs 460 per cylinder every month against the MRP of Rs 448. “If we bargain, the delivery boy takes back the cylinder,” she said and added that the dealers also say that they were helpless and the customers have to pay extra to the delivery boys.
An LPG dealer on condition of anonymity admitted that some delivery boys were indulging in this activity in the name of inam for tea. He said they had given clear instructions to the delivery boys not to collect additional charges at the time of delivery of cylinder.
Condition of rural LPG customers is even worse. The delivery boys collect more than Rs. 100 on each refilled cylinder. When contacted officials of District Supply Office (DSO) said neither the dealer nor the delivery boy should collect additional transportation charges from the LPG consumers.
