While the common man is still trying to figure out how to manage his household with six subsidised LPG cylinder, the mighty and the powerful in Uttar Pradesh, apparently, have no such worries.
According to sources, the chief minister’s office, for instance, has used 34 LPG cylinders in the past four months which leads to an average of about eight gas cylinders in one month — two more than what an ordinary consumer is expected to use in one year.
The kitchen in the secretariat building has used up 24 LPG cylinders in four months while 75 cylinders have been used in the Vidhan Sabha in the same period. The camp office of the UP chief secretary has used 77 LPG cylinders in four months.
Nearly 24 LPG cylinders have been issued in the name of UP governor between April and August and 30 cylinders have been issued in the name of secretary to the governor.
The website of a prominent gas agency shows that 14 to 20 connections have been issued in the names of various departmental heads in the state government and these are all heavily subsidised.
For instance, there are more than one dozen connections in the name of director, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences and in the past four months, 3,138 refills have been supplied to these connections.
In the Lucknow Model jail, that has two gas connections, about 33 cylinders are emptied every day.
About 18 legislators living in Vidhayak Niwas in Lucknow have been supplied 368 cylinders in the past four months.
The Lucknow police, too, does not lag behind and is using up 1,800 cylinders every month in various places. Mr D.P. Singh, state president of the All India LPG Distributor Federation, says that since all these connections belong to the “exempted category” there is no time limit on booking and refilling. A common consumer can book for a refill after 21 days since the last delivery.
Meanwhile, a senior government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to this correspondent on Wednesday, admitted that there was a major scam in gas cylinders in this category. “For instance, in the chief minister’s office, only tea is prepared for the chief minister, his officials and visitors and also during various meetings held there. Under no circumstances, can one consume eight cylinders in one month. This obviously means that either the cylinders are being pilfered and resold in the open market or someone is simply carrying them to his home,” the official said.