Pankaj Nath, Assam , 16 June :
The Margherita Co‑District Administration in Assam held a review meeting on Monday to address consumer complaints about LPG availability and distribution. Chaired by Rahul Doley, ACS and Co‑District Commissioner, the meeting included officials from the Food, Public Distribution & Consumer Affairs Department, representatives of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), and other stakeholders.IOCL reported that M/s Margherita Gas Supply serves 17,498 active consumers (10,168 Non‑PMUY and 7,330 PMUY), with a total registered base of 23,078 consumers. Booking rules currently permit refills after 25 days for urban and 45 days for rural consumers.
Officials noted a sustained rise in LPG demand in Margherita and Ledo, increasing pressure on the distributorship.To ease consumer difficulties, Doley directed IOCL to strengthen home delivery and asked the distributorship to ensure effective doorstep cylinder delivery. He recommended increasing delivery vehicles from four to at least nine and urged greater transparency by displaying daily stock levels, delivery staff names and contact numbers, and vehicle registration details at the distributorship. Installation of CCTV and GPS tracking for delivery vehicles was also discussed to improve accountability.Concerns were raised about potential diversion of domestic cylinders for commercial use amid growing demand.
The Commissioner stressed strict vigilance to prevent misuse and requested regular updates on booking trends, failed deliveries, and cancellations for timely administrative intervention.IOCL sought administrative support to discourage over‑the‑counter sales and direct distribution from godowns, insisting that cylinders reach consumers through prescribed delivery channels. Longer‑term measures considered included transferring some consumers to nearby authorised distributorships, using Common Service Centres (CSCs) as additional access points, and assessing the need for a new distributorship to serve the expanding consumer base.Consumer grievance mechanisms were reviewed. IOCL reminded consumers they can register complaints via the IndianOil ONE mobile app, customer care channels, and designated grievance platforms.
The administration emphasized prompt complaint resolution and active monitoring of service delivery.The meeting concluded with directions for IOCL to communicate recommendations to the distributorship and issue compliance instructions to improve transparency, boost home delivery services, and enhance consumer convenience.
Doley appealed to the public not to divert domestic LPG for unauthorised commercial purposes, warning such actions harm genuine beneficiaries and create artificial shortages. Attendees included Priti Rekha Gogoi (Assistant Commissioner), Chaiwon Weingken and Sudha Thapa S.I (FPD & CA), Soloi Kumrah (CDM Gopanari IOCL), Dilip Talukdar (DLSW, Tinsukia), Ankur Benal (CDC Officer, Tinsukia), and other officials. The administration reaffirmed its commitment to coordinate with IOCL and stakeholders to ensure uninterrupted LPG supply across the Co‑District.
