
The petroleum ministry has directed state-run oil marketing companies OMCs to clear the backlog in new cooking gas connections by the time the festive season begins in October, and set up a grievance cell in the ministry where consumers could complain about delay in supplies.
At a meeting today with the heads of the OMCs, the ministry agreed to extend the current time norm of 30-days8217; wait for new gas connections to 60-days after the OMCs promised to clear the existing waitlist within two months.
8220;Wait time for LPG connections will not be allowed to exceed two months,8221; petroleum secretary R S Pandey told reporters. 8220;LPG connections will be available on demand.8221;
Oil firms have gone slow on issuing new LPG connections as they lose Rs 350 on a 14.2 kg LPG cylinder. Though the official waitlist is reported at six lakh, sources said that the number is higher as OMCs have instructed their retailers not to entertain fresh applications.
Pandey told the companies to stop looking at government for support and instead cut expenses to limit their losses. He also asked them to check diversion of subsidised fuel to unintended users.