Number portability for LPG, 5-kg refill sale from Sat

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

New Delhi:Fed up with the service of your cooking gas dealer? From Saturday, you can switch to another nearby dealership — even if it belongs to another company — in 30 cities. Along with this scheme, which is similar to number portability for mobiles, oil minister M Veerappa Moily will, on October 5, also launch sale of 5-kg cooking gas cylinders in select company-owned petrol pumps that are open till late at night in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru. 
    TOI had first reported the ministry’s plans to launch the initiatives on November 4 and January 12, respectively. Consumers can apply for changing their present dealer through the website of the supplier’s company. The service ratings of each dealer would also be available to help consumers make a choice. 
    Applications would be tracked online to ensure quicker action. The ministry is also planning to implement a system of incentive or penalty on dealers depending on how well they serve their customers. It is not clear yet whether consumers would have to physically surrender their present cylinder if they choose a dealer of another company. 
    The five-kg gas cylinders would be sold at market rate and are likely to cost around Rs 400. The paperwork for acquiring a connection for a small cylinder has been kept to a bare minimum. These cylinders are expected to help students, young professionals and labourers.


Source:::: The Times of India, 03-10-2013, p.09,  http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW