Gas agency told to restore supply
Ludhiana   27-Aug-2010

In a major relief to Gurdwara Singh Sabha situated in New Model Town in the city, the District Consumer Forum has directed the IndianOil (IOC) and Kehar Gas Services Agency to supply 20 gas cylinders as and when demanded by the complainant as per the rules. It also directed the firms to pay a compensation and litigation costs.

Filing a complaint through its president with the Forum, the gurdwara said it was a registered society and that it had obtained LPG gas cylinders from Kehar and Dewan Gas Services and IOC for use of community kitchen for the welfare of public and Sikh sangat (devotees). Declaring them consumer, the company and agency had allotted them a number on September 6, 1994. They were given 20 gas cylinders, after accepting the security and other charges.

Kehar and Dewan Gas Agency being authorized distributors of the IOC, Chandigarh, initially, the gurdwara had been taking supply regularly from the latter, as per requirement but then the supply was shifted to the former.

However, the complainant informed the Forum that this year the supply of 20 gas cylinders had suddenly decreased to 10 cylinders with the approval of the IOC, without intimation. To add to it, the gas agency on its own changed the supply type from domestic to commercial and started charging high rates arbitrarily and illegally. This forced the gurdwara society to approach the Forum against the gas agency and IOC for deficiency in service.

When no one from the IOC and the Kehar Gas agency appeared before the Forum, the case was proceeded against them ex parte.

Relying to the affidavit of the president of the Gurdwara Singh Sabha Society Pritpal Singh regarding the reduction in the supply, the Consumer Forum held that the move appeared to be illegal, arbitrary as the corporation had taken security of 20 gas cylinders from the complainant. The act was declared to be an unfair trade practice.