No reimbursement for LPG customers

40 per cent have exhausted old quota

Centre’s decision to raise the cap on domestic subsidised cylinders from six to nine per year may have bought relief to citizens but not to those who have already bought non-subsidised cylinders for `970 each against the subsidised price of `412. Out of 1.4 crore domestic LPG customers in the state 40 per cent have exhausted their quota of three subsidised cylinders for this year (2012-13) and have already bought a fourth and fifth cylinder for `970, the unsubsidised price.

As per new orders, as the total number of subsidised cylinders allowed a year has gone up, consumers are entitled to five subsidised cylinders from September 2012 to March 31, 2013.

Gas agencies have made it clear that consumers can avail of two extra subsidised cylinders on fresh bookings till March 31, but they will not get any reimbursement for the two cylinders they may already have bought at non-subsidised rates.

“There is no question of reimbursing the additional amount collected from consumers for the fourth and fifth cylinders obtained since September 2012. They were supplied non-subsidised cylinders for `970 since they had exhausted their quota of three subsidised cylinders before March 31, 2013,” said P. Venkateshwar Rao, president of the AP LPG Dealers’ Association. This means, only those who use two cylinders in the next two months — to be precise, within 70 days — from now, can avail the subsidy benefit.