---------------------------------------------------------- Do GOACAN a favour, circulate this email to your family members, relatives, neighbours and friends. Help others be better informed CONSUMERS. ---------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN organises LPG Consumer Rights Awareness Action in Margao ---------------------------------------------------------- The Goa Civic and Consumer Action Network (GOACAN) as part of its ongoing LPG Consumer Rights Fortnight held an awareness action at Margao with the participation of consumer forum volunteers from South Goa.
Displaying banners and distributing information slips to the consumers the Forum volunteers emphasised the importance of the LPG consumers reading their rights and writing their complaints. The volunteers briefed the LPG consumers that they are entitled to get home delivery of the gas cylinders for Rs. 334.52 inclusive of transport charges for the first 5 kms. They were also informed that transport charges of Rs.1/- per km could be collected from the consumer only if the delivery of the cylinder is beyond 5kms as per the guidelines of the Directorate of Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs. Many consumers were unaware that such a facility is the right of consumer and agreed to book for the refill of the cylinder with the concerned LPG dealer instead of waiting on the road with the empty cylinder. LPG Consumers were also pleased to know that when they book a home delivery for a refill, a computerised bill is issued giving the name & address of the consumer which is delivered alongwith the cylinder. Some consumers were critical of the Central Govt. for fixing the price of the Cylinder at Rs.334.52 as this resulted in them paying Rs.335/- which meant 48 paise extra per cylinder refill. This might seem a small amount but considering that there are a near three lakh LPG consumers in Goa the outflow from the consumers is almost Rs.1,50,000 per month. The volunteers also briefed the consumers that since the domestic LPG cylinders supplied in Goa contains 14.2 Kgs, the cylinder weight can be checked by the consumer at the residence at the time of delivery as every transporting vehicle is provided with a mobile scale by the Petroleum Companies. Majority of the consumers were unaware of the importance of the bi-annual mandatory safety check of equipment that needs to be done at the residence of the consumer on payment of Rs. 40/- only by the authorised mechanic of the Petroleum Company. The Forum volunteers further informed that such a safety check ensures the validity of the insurance cover provided to the consumer by the Petroleum Company and consumers must be alert to stop "unauthorised persons" from conducting such checks and duping the consumers. The Forum Volunteers also provided consumers with safety literature prepared by HP Gas & Bharat Gas and impressed upon them the importance of using only Suraksha LPG Hoses at their residences. Meanwhile GOACAN has appealed to LPG Consumers to write their complaints if any in the authorised complaint book of the Petroleum Companies provided at every dealers showroom and send copies of the same by post to GOACAN Complaints Cell, Post Box 187, Margao Goa 403 601 or by email to [email protected]. ---------------------------------------------------------- GOA CIVIC AND CONSUMER ACTION NETWORK ---------------------------------------------------------- promoting civic and consumer rights in Goa ---------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN Post Box 187 Margao, Goa 403 601 GOACAN Post Box 78 Mapusa, Goa 403 507 mailto: [email protected] ----------------------------------------------------------
