GUWAHATI: The Indian Oil Corporation Limited has merely a few takers for its "take home two 5 kg cylinders in exchange for 14.2 kg metallic cylinder" offer under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).
The IndianOil’s Assam Oil Division (AOD) made the offer after observing that a large number of customers under the PMUY were not refilling their cylinders due to various reasons including non-affordability and the option of cooking using firewood.
The refill price of 5 kg cylinders is proportionate to the 14.2 kg red cylinder. In the past one year, the Indian Oil Corporation managed to push only 1 lakh 5 kg cylinders.
Assam has 44.14 lakh PMUY beneficiaries and an estimated 25% of them did not go for refill.
G Ramesh, Executive Director and head of IndianOil’s AOD, said the government had introduced the 5 kg cylinders after observing the difficulties a section of PMUY beneficiaries were facing with refill.
“We offered the 5 kg cylinders as we thought that would be a cheaper option,” he said.
Saurav Chaliha, who is IndianOil’s General Manager (HR-CSR), said people in rural Assam tend to rely more on firewood than LPG for cooking.
Raj Jyoti Das, who is IndianOil’s Deputy General Manager (LPG Sales), said the response to 5 kg cylinders was not good.
“The feedback we have received from the ground is that many such PMUY beneficiaries argue why they should take two small cylinders in exchange for a bigger one,” Das said.
The IndianOil has launched a 10 kg see-through cylinder which is covered with a composite layer of polymer-wrapped fibreglass and fitted with an HDPE outer jacket. It costs Rs 821.
‘Chhotu’, a mini cooking gas cylinder of 5 kg, has been also launched especially for catering to migrant populations in urban and semi-urban areas who do not have local address proof, people with lower gas consumption and commercial establishments with limited space.
An option for the struggling PMUY beneficiaries could be “Munna”, a 2 kg cylinder, which will be launched soon. A cylinder will cost Rs 247.