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New LPG policy: Govt skips answer over forcible buying of new connections

ASEM MOHIUDDIN. Dated: 10/2/2012 12:30:41 AM

SRINAGAR, Oct 1: With Jammu and Kashmir government having no concrete measures in place to implement central government’s new gas policy, the state is likely to face immense cooking gas crisis with the onset of winter.
Terming it as an anti-people move, the people are aghast and threatened to launch agitation if government forces them to buy new connections in absence of documents for the already existing connections.
“It is very unfortunate that government is implementing the policy without addressing the public concerns. How can they declare all our existing connections illegal and force to buy new one,” said Mohammad Yousuf. He said prior to implementation of policy, government should have looked into the public concerns and worked for its solution.
“So far we never required documents to prove the legality of our connections and with the introduction of new gas policy we are asked to show the documents to register the connection,” he added.
Another customer, Ghulam Mohammad said that if the government will not show flexibility and register the existing connections, then they are left with no option other than to lodge protest.
The anger is mounting among the people after gas distributors are straightway rejecting the connections of those customers who have lost the documents.
According to the report, as many as 1,20,000 connections have been blocked in Jammu division alone in last few days after the customers failed to produce the documentary proof.
Much against the expectations of people, the government “forces” people to buy new connections if they have lost the documents or are unable to produce them for some other reasons.
The anger is also brewing after state government without any thought introduced the “unfriendly” policy in state and left customers high and dry.
The government’s refusal to provide fuel on existing connections without documents is likely to add the sufferings of people who are all set to greet the dark and harsh days of winter in absence of proper electricity.
Meanwhile, the Minster of State for CA&PD Shabir Ahmad said that they have requested GoI to extend the deadline for the registration of connections besides to increase number of subsidized gas cylinders from six to nine.
However, when asked about the government’s policy of asking customers to buy new connections if they have lost the documents, Minster has nothing to say.
“I recently talked to the petroleum Minster in New Delhi and asked him to increase the number of subsidised gas cylinders from six to nine. I also asked him to extend the deadline for registration and allow the previous procedure of distribution till March 2013 in our state,” he said, adding that they are yet to receive any reply from them.
The Minster, however, admitted that large number of customers in Jammu and Kashmir are without documents. He, however, was not willing to say anything as to why they are forced to buy new connections and why government is not ready to register their existing connections.