Cooking gas (LPG) can now be picked up across-the-counter at select petrol pumps, company owned and company operated outlets, which are only 3 percent of the nearly 50,000 stations across the country, in the five metros as the government has allowed sale of market-priced cooking fuel in small cylinders of 5-kg each. Priced at more than double the subsidised cooking gas, these cylinders will be available at petrol pumps owned and operated by state-run oil firms in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore. The scheme is to be expanded to more pumps in the metros and other parts depending on the success of the pilot project in the five cities.
While a subsidised 5-kg LPG cylinder costs Rs 152 in Delhi, a market-priced refill which will be available at select petrol pumps will cost Rs 362. In Mumbai, the price of non-subsidised 5-kg LPG cylinder will be Rs 396 as opposed to a subsidised refill of Rs 163. Besides being costlier, the refills will be available only at company-owned-company-operated (COCO) petrol pumps, which make up for less than 3 per cent of the 49,077 retail outlets. As per the scheme sanctioned by oil minister M Veerappa Moily, consumers will have to, at first purchase, pay the price the cylinder and administrative charges besides the cost of the fuel. On subsequent refills, they will have to pay only the fuel cost. "The prospective customer at the time of first sale would only be required to give a copy of Voter I-Card, Driving license, PAN Card, Aadhaar Card, Bank Pass book, Employees ID, Passport, Student ID or any other such document that can act as a proof of identity," an official statement said.
The free trade LPG scheme is targeted at a new category of consumers in big cities who are mobile and thus do not want a permanent LPG connection but still require LPG for their needs. Customers like students and small families require the flexibility in getting LPG cylinders as per their convenience, and their needs can be met by smaller quantities.
