Tampered cylinders are widely in use: Probe
KATHMANDU, June 12:
Charges that most of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) companies in the country are risking consumers´ lives by circulating tampered cylinders of competitors are not merely an allegation.
A probe team of Ministry of Industry (MoI) formed to investigate anomalies in the LPG market has confirmed that the practice of companies illicitly collecting competitors´ cylinders, changing their foot- and neck-rings and circulating them under their respective brands runs deep in the industry.
The raid by Bureau of Standard on May 5 at Nepal Petroleum Trade Links in Biratnagar has for the first time exposed the biggest racket in this connection run by Sugam Gas Company (SGC). The MoI probe team confirmed SGC, which already has circulated 29,000 units of cylinders in the market, was tampering with another 15,314 cylinders of 24 different gas companies.
This is not just a one-off case that the probe team dug out through its investigation. And not just the private bottlers, even the state-owned Salt Trading Corporation that jumped into the LPG bottling business just recently was found involved in such wrongdoing.
“During our inspection, we found Nepal Cylinder Industry, a company based in Amlekhgunj, involved in similar practice -- fitting foot and neck rings of Salt Trading Corporation (STC) in cylinders that had logo of Baba Gas,” reads the team´s report.
The probe team has said it could not be sure whether STC was directly involved in this wrongdoing. But what is for sure is the tampered cylinders will find way into the plant of the STC, will be refilled and circulated in the market.
People involved in LPG bottling business agree that almost all gas companies are into this unscrupulous practice, even though they are well aware that refitting of foot and neck rings sharply deteriorates pressure bearing capacity of cylinders.
“Refilling gas into such cylinders makes them prone to leakage and explosion, and can cause fatal accidents,” admits Sabarmal Agrawal, president of Nepal LPG Industries´ Association.
Source: Republica
Charges that most of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) companies in the country are risking consumers´ lives by circulating tampered cylinders of competitors are not merely an allegation.
A probe team of Ministry of Industry (MoI) formed to investigate anomalies in the LPG market has confirmed that the practice of companies illicitly collecting competitors´ cylinders, changing their foot- and neck-rings and circulating them under their respective brands runs deep in the industry.
The raid by Bureau of Standard on May 5 at Nepal Petroleum Trade Links in Biratnagar has for the first time exposed the biggest racket in this connection run by Sugam Gas Company (SGC). The MoI probe team confirmed SGC, which already has circulated 29,000 units of cylinders in the market, was tampering with another 15,314 cylinders of 24 different gas companies.
This is not just a one-off case that the probe team dug out through its investigation. And not just the private bottlers, even the state-owned Salt Trading Corporation that jumped into the LPG bottling business just recently was found involved in such wrongdoing.
“During our inspection, we found Nepal Cylinder Industry, a company based in Amlekhgunj, involved in similar practice -- fitting foot and neck rings of Salt Trading Corporation (STC) in cylinders that had logo of Baba Gas,” reads the team´s report.
The probe team has said it could not be sure whether STC was directly involved in this wrongdoing. But what is for sure is the tampered cylinders will find way into the plant of the STC, will be refilled and circulated in the market.
People involved in LPG bottling business agree that almost all gas companies are into this unscrupulous practice, even though they are well aware that refitting of foot and neck rings sharply deteriorates pressure bearing capacity of cylinders.
“Refilling gas into such cylinders makes them prone to leakage and explosion, and can cause fatal accidents,” admits Sabarmal Agrawal, president of Nepal LPG Industries´ Association.
Source: Republica
