Lok Sabha Question No. 147 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-04-25
Subject: Theft of LPG
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: BHEEMRAO BASWANTHRAO PATIL, DALPAT SINGH PARASTE, RANGASWAMY DHRUVANARAYANA

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 147 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 th  APRIL 2016

## THEFT OF LPG

†147.   SHRI BHEEMRAO B. PATIL: SHRI DALPAT SINGH PARASTE: SHRI R. DHRUVA NARAYANA:

## पेट्रोलियम एवं प्राक ृ लिक गैस मंत्री

Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has received complaints of theft of LPG during the last three  years  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  assessment  made  in  this regard and steps taken for the redressal of such complaints in rural and urban areas separately, State/UT-wise;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  formulate  any  scheme  for  distribution  of gas through new composite cylinders and if so, the details thereof and the time by which such cylinders are likely to be made available to rural and urban consumers, State/UT-wise; and
- (c) whether the cylinders being used by all the existing consumers are proposed to be replaced and if so, the details thereof including the cost of such replacement to be borne by the consumers?

## ANSWER

पेट्रोलियम एवं प्राक ृ लिक गैस मंत्रािय में राज्य मंत्री ( स्विंत्र प्रभार ) ( श्री धमेन्द्र प्रधान )

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  IN THE MINISTRY PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

OF

- (a)  Some  cases  of  supply  of  underweight  cylinders/pilferage  of  gas  from  LPG cylinders have been noticed by Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies(OMCs). In all the  established  cases  of  irregularities,  penal  action  is  taken  against  the  erring distributors as per provisions of MDG and distributorship agreement. The State/UTwise details for the last three years and April 2015 to January 2016 of established

cases of supply of partially used cylinders/pilfering products from cylinders by LPG distributors are given in Annexure. Various steps taken to prevent pilferage/supply of underweight cylinders are as under :-

-  Officials carry out random checks at distributors' godowns, delivery points, as well  as  en-route  to  ensure  that  correct  weight  cylinders  are  delivered  by distributors.
-  Distributors  are  under  strict  instructions  to  check  the  weight  of  cylinders  at their godowns.
-  All  distributors  are  required  to  provide  portable  weighing  scales  to  all  their delivery boys so that weight of the cylinder can be checked on demand before delivery to the customers.
-  The distributors have also been instructed to ensure that the seals are verified and shown to the customers at the time of delivery.
-  Joint inspections/ raids are conducted by OMCs officers in coordination with State Civil Supplies Department to arrest the menace of pilferage of LPG and cases are filed by the District Administration against the culprits under various provisions of Essential Commodities Act and other relevant Acts.
-  Tamper evident seals are being used across the country w.e.f. 1.4.2016.

(b)  In  order  to  undertake  a  feasibility  study  on  marketing  of  LPG  in  composite cylinders  by  Public  Sector  Oil  Marketing  Companies  (OMCs),  a  public  tender  has been  invited  for  procurement  of  composite  cylinders  by  Hindustan  Petroleum Corporation Ltd.(HPCL), and the companies are in the process of testing the new cylinders in pilot markets.

(c)  There  is  no  proposal  to    replace  the    LPG      cylinders  being  used  by  the  existing customers.

------

ANNEXURE

## STATE-WISE DETAILS OF ESTABLISHED CASES OF PILFERAGE DURING LAST THREE YEARS & CURRENT YEAR (TILL JAN '16)

| STATE/UT             |   Apr '15-Jan '16 |   2014-15 | 2013-14   | 2012-13   |
|----------------------|-------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| CHANDIGARH           |                 0 |         1 | 1         |           |
| DELHI                |                 2 |        10 | 4         | 4         |
| HARYANA              |                 3 |         2 | 3         | 4         |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH     |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| JAMMU & KASHMIR      |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| PUNJAB               |                10 |         5 |           | 3         |
| RAJASTHAN            |                 1 |         0 | 2         |           |
| UTTAR PRADESH        |                 8 |         8 | 5         | 14        |
| UTTARAKHAND          |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| SUB TOTAL NORTH      |                24 |        26 | 15        | 25        |
| ANDAMAN & NICOBAR    |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| ARUNACHAL PRADESH    |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| ASSAM                |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| BIHAR                |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| JHARKHAND            |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| MANIPUR              |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| MEGHALAYA            |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| MIZORAM              |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| NAGALAND             |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| ORISSA               |                 0 |         0 |           | 1         |
| SIKKIM               |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| TRIPURA              |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| WEST BENGAL          |                 2 |         1 |           |           |
| SUB TOTAL EAST       |                 2 |         1 | 0         | 1         |
| CHATTISGARH          |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| DAMAN & DIU          |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| GOA                  |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| GUJARAT              |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| MADHYA PRADESH       |                 0 |         3 |           |           |
| MAHARASHTRA          |                 0 |         1 | 1         |           |
| SUB TOTAL WEST       |                 0 |         4 | 1         | 0         |
| ANDHRA PRADESH       |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| KARNATAKA            |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| KERALA               |                 0 |         1 |           |           |
| LAKSHADWEEP          |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| PONDICHERRY          |                 0 |         0 |           |           |
| TAMILNADU            |                 0 |         0 |           |           |

| TELANGANA       |   1 |   0 |    |    |
|-----------------|-----|-----|----|----|
| SUB TOTAL SOUTH |   1 |   1 |  0 |  0 |
| ALL INDIA       |  27 |  32 | 16 | 26 |