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| BPCL finds fault with police LPG outlet | | | SANT KUMAR SHARMA
Jammu, November 7, 2009:
The Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) officials have found that the Bharatgas LPG distributorship at police lines here has many shortcomings.
During an inspection a couple of months ago, a senior BPCL official wrote a detailed note on the logbook at the distributorship and asked for corrective measures to be initiated.
In a strongly worded inspection report, the official has pointed out that the LPG agency is not adhering to the norms laid down by the corporation.
To begin with, it has been written in the report that the agency is not equipped with a computer for the maintenance of necessary records.
On inquiry from some oil company officials, it was learnt that all companies have made computerization of records mandatory at the gas agencies.
A BPCL official, who did not want to be named, said: ``Had the agency not been located in the police lines, we would have cancelled it by now. If we cancel the agency by taking stringent action for violation of laid down norms, it would adversely impact many families of policemen living on the campus.’’
He sought to create an impression that the company was being rather lenient towards the Jammu police so as not to inconvenience the cops.
An official posted at the agency said that the staff has conveyed the contents of the inspection report to the higher-ups. He also pointed out that for taking corrective steps at the agency will involve buying a computer, providing trained manpower to handle the machine and some other steps. A decision regarding these could be taken only at the level of the SSP or DIG or IG office, he added.
The process of two-way communication between the LPG agency and the senior hierarchy has already been established but the necessary funds have not been sanctioned so far.
This is delaying the process of installation of computer and consequently, the police personnel are facing problems in getting new connections.
A sub-inspector whose family lives at the police lines said that he has seen many police personnel being turned away from the agency.
Interestingly, if the people applying for new connections agree to buy hotplates (gas chulhas) from the agency, the new connections are provided after a bit of dithering.
This thus appears to be a clear case of tied-up sales, something of an anathema and considered an unethical business practice.
Some police personnel alleged that they have been forced to buy costly hot plates from the agency as the BPCL has tied up with three manufacturers for the promotion of their hot plates.
A staff member of the gas agency said that even in the inspection report, the BPCL official has written clearly that the company has taken upon itself to promote the hot plates manufactured by three different companies.
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