No gas agencies for 70 villages in Gurdaspur

PATHANKOT: Even as use of LPG for crematorium was being mooted to save forest cover in Punjab, the shortage of cooking gas in the region has been forcing consumers to buy cylinders in black at much higher prices. Majority families of at least 70 villages in Dhar Kalan block of Gurdaspur district are forced to cook their food on firewood collected from surrounding forests or by burning cow dung cakes because there is no gas agency in the area to cater to their needs and provide LPG cylinders.
Talking to TOI, president of Kandi Vikas Morcha Jagdish Dall said, "The lack of gas agencies in the region has forced residents of Dunera and Dhar Kalan to travel about 50 -70 km to Pathankot to get cylinders refilled.Even then they have to wait for more than 21 days and make repeated trips to get the cooking gas."
Villagers in the area alleged that though they have on different occasions reported the non-availability of cooking gas to Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner and District Food Supply and Controller, nothing has been done for them yet. "All our complaints about lack of LPG cylinders have fallen on deaf ears," the villagers said.
Rattan Chand, former sarpanch of Dunera said, "Several deputations of panchayat heads had met Sujanpur MLA Dinesh Singh Babbu and Pathankot MLA and transport minister Mohan Lal and were given assurance, but nothing has b2een done yet to make LPG available in the region. Not only has SAD-BJP alliance government been indifferent to the residents' demand, even the previous Congress government did nothing for them to provide the basic amenity."
According to social worker Umesh Kumar the non–availability of cooking gas has forced the residents of these villages to steal wood from the forest and burning cow dung cakes has proved a health hazard.