GUWAHATI:
The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has been offering two 5 kg LPG cylinders as a refill package to Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) beneficiaries, who are unable to afford the standard 14.2 kg cylinder, in Assam.
The progress has been slow. The country’s leading energy PSU, branded Indian Oil, has been able to push only 1 lakh ‘mini’ cylinders over the past 12 months among 34 lakh beneficiaries who have struggled to continue using liquefied petroleum gas.
According to the number of ration card holders, Assam has about 56 lakh families below the poverty line (BPL). Of these, 44.14 lakh became the beneficiaries of PMUY entailing a free single-cylinder LPG connection.
Officials of Indian Oil’s Assam Oil Division (AOD) said some 25% did not apply for refill due to various reasons, including non-affordability and availability of firewood for cooking. This left about 34 lakh beneficiaries keen on continuing to use LPG, if affordable.
“We have been offering the BLP families 10 kg of LPG in two 5 kg metallic cylinders as a cheaper option. We hope the small cylinders would increase in popularity among people who find the 14.2 kg cylinder beyond their means,” G. Ramesh, the executive director and Assam head of IndianOil AOD said on Friday.
Indian Oil’s field officials have outlined some “practical problems” in pushing the 5 kg cylinders.
“The cost per kg of LPG works out almost the same for a 5 kg cylinder, which currently is priced at ₹422 apiece. But BPL consumers are reluctant to settle for 10 kg (two of 5 kg) when they used the 14.2 kg the first time,” an official said.
The 14.2 kg standard cylinder carries a price tag of ₹1,152.
Many sizes, power-packed
IndianOil, which has an LPG market share of 87% in the northeast comprising seven States (excluding Sikkim), has also been aggressively marketing a 10 kg translucent, fibreglass cylinder with a blow-moulded plastic outer jacket for urban consumers.
“This is a pleasing-to-the-eye and a lightweight cylinder that anyone can use and is available at all the Indane distributors in the region,” Mr Ramesh said, adding that this has been catching the imagination of many homemakers because one can check the level of gas and order a refill accordingly.
This fibreglass cylinder currently costs ₹821.
The business for the similarly designed Chhotu, a 5 kg commercial version priced at ₹567, has also been picking up among the migrant population in urban areas. They include students, people in transferrable jobs, and truckers.
A second option for people on the go is Munna, a 2 kg cylinder costing ₹247.
“We are yet to start distributing Munna in the northeast. Of our 10 bottling plants in the region, one in Tripura’s Agartala and the other near Guwahati in Assam are ready to churn this product out,” Mr Ramesh said.
For commercial consumers, IndianOil has come out with XtraTeJ in 19 kg and 47.5 kg variants. This produces a high-temperature flame for faster cooking and saving at least 5% of fuel. EOM
