Illegal LPG refill units flourish

BHOPAL: Illegal refill of LPG cylinders is flourishing in the state capital as a large number of students and migrants who do not have proper valid documents look for alternatives to cooking gas cylinders. There are around 75-100 illegal refill units operating in the city, that give a bypass to safety norms and violate the LPG gas control order. These illegal refilling units are earning an estimated net profit of Rs 6 crore a month through refilling of LPG and black-marketing of LPG cylinders in Bhopal.
These units are run across the city including Jawahar Chowk, old city, Nehru Nagar and other major markets of Bhopal. These gas refilling units are allegedly run as gas repairing units.
General Manager Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), YK Gupta told TOI, "We are nowhere responsible for the black marketing of LPG in Bhopal. This unauthorized dealing of the LPG has in the state capital has created an artificial shortage of the LPG here."
"We have also asked the administration to take strict actions but in vain," he said. He added, "We are not the authority for policing and I would not like to discuss on this issue."
However, requesting anonymity, officials working at the gas agencies said, "This is a blatant violation of the LPG gas control order which pertains to the supply and distribution of the LPG gas cylinders. Various kinds of licenses are needed to refill and store gas cylinders."
"These illegal LPG refilling units are also violating the Gas Cylinders Rules 2004 and the Explosives Act 1884," officials said.
These gas repairing units sell small 3 kilograms (kg), 4 kg and 5 kg cylinders which are not as per the Bureau of Indian Standards (BSI) specifications and they do not have ISI certificates. "In fact the 5 kg cylinders do not have an ISI mark. The quality of the cylinders is very bad and some does not have the capacity to bear even slight pressure. If an extra bit gas is filled, the cylinder can burst," they said.
"I moved into the city last month with my family. However, we were not getting an immediate gas connection from any gas agency. Therefore rather than having a food from outside on a daily basis, we thought of opting for smaller cylinders which are sold in the market," Santosh Sinha, resident of Ashoka garden said.
"We need a lot of documents for getting a LPG connection. We are students and will stay in this city so long as we complete our studies. Therefore these small cylinders are more affordable for us, even though they are a bit expensive," Atul Shulka and Nitesh Kumar, residents of Gulmohar said.
Some students said that they stay in rented houses or rooms in groups and normally cook their food. Earlier they used to use the LPG cylinders from their landlords and pay for them but now with the cap on subsidized cylinders the house owners are not willing to provide cylinders even for a price.
Around two months ago, 5 members of the same family lost their lives in a LPG cylinder blast in Jehangirabad.