LPG distributors threaten indefinite strike from May 14

Addressing a press-meet on Friday, P M Patel, president of the All-India LPG Distributors Federation (Gujarat), said, "The Essential Commodities & Licensing Order was implemented in 1985. At that time, there were very few LPG bottling plants, very few distributors, and also a long waiting list. Hence the move to classify LPG amongst essential commodities was very much reasonable."

"But the situation has changed in the last 20 years. The number of bottling plants has increased, so has the number of dealers. There is no such thing as waiting list today, so to keep LPG among essential commodities does not make any sense," he said.

"All other states, except Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Rajasthan, have already exempted LPG from the control order. Even the central government has recommended that the state government should do the same," he claimed.

"The control order leads to the harassment of the distributors at the hands of officers of civil supplies department. The officers threaten the distributors over the smallest of mistakes or irregularities, and extract money from them. Considering the legal hassles, the distributors have no other way but to agree to the officers' demands," Patel alleged.

According to him all 536 LPG distributors of the state and their employees would wear black strips from April 25 to 30. From May 1 to 6, the distributors have decided stop the home delivery of cylinders.

In the ensuing week, i.e. from May 7 to 13, they would not accept any fresh stock. They will go on an indefinite strike only if their demands are not met by then.