KOCHI: The Chittoorappan Gas Agency at Chittoor is at the centre of a controversy with many customers coming forward with a slew of complaints and the CPM Cheranellore local committee spearheading an agitation against it.
The main complaints against the agency are the delay in taking bookings and delivery of cylinders, taking additional money for delivery of cylinders at the door, and forcing customers to take delivery from the agency itself.
CPM Cheranellore local committee secretary Divine K J said that despite complaints and agitations, the authorities including District Labour Officer, District Collector and Indian Oil
Corporation authorities had failed to act. “They even convened talks but no concrete action has been taken.
Though 12 subsidy cylinders is the quota, the agency takes bookings only after 45 days. They don’t have adequate godown facillities and they don’t stick to safety norms also,” said Divine.
However, owner of the gas agency, M G Shaji said that everything was fine till seven labourers who were working with him created a union and started to derail things.
“I was forced to remove a worker called Babu from the job and they tried to physically intimidate my son who was brought by me into the business, I am not able to control these workers who play with my business and then spread canards. They also mislead new workers who join me,” said Shaji.
Shaji said that till November 15, the supply from IOC was not adequate, but with Aadhar being reintroduced, things had fallen into place and there was no problem with supply for Christmas. He said he was only charging the normal price for the cylinders.
