Shahdara (Delhi), Oct 26: Thousands of LPG distributors from across the country protested on Monday at the CBD Ground in Karkardooma, east Delhi, demanding a revision of their distributor commissions and the resolution of long-pending operational issues, in the first major demonstration at the capital's newly designated protest site, Mirror Now reported.
Source: Mirror Now
The protest was organised by the LPG Distributors Association (India). Reports carried by the association put the number of participating distributors at more than 4,000, while Mirror Now estimated the gathering at around 10,000 participants from different states and Union Territories. The distributors sought a Rs 75 increase in commission rates and the reversal of a mandate requiring mandatory PNG connections, Mirror Now reported.
Source: Mirror Now
The demonstration went ahead despite official clearance being denied. Delhi Police said permission for the gathering was denied because the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has not yet formally allotted specific land within the CBD Ground for protest activities, and the infrastructure needed to host such events has not been established at the site. The association's national president B. S. Sharma said the group had paid a booking fee of Rs 95,427 to the DDA, cleaned the area and erected a tent before being told the protest could not go ahead; the booking receipt, he noted, listed the event's purpose as a “social gathering” rather than a demonstration. The DDA had issued no public response on the booking fee or the land-allotment status as of Monday.
Source: Mirror Now
Sharma said distributors have been seeking a comprehensive revision of their commissions since 2018, arguing that the commission structure has not kept pace with rising prices and operating costs. “After 2018, the price of LPG has increased from around Rs 450 to Rs 1,000, while commercial LPG prices have risen from Rs 1,100 to Rs 3,033. However, there has been no corresponding increase in our commission,” he said, adding that interim relief was provided in 2022 but a comprehensive revision remains pending and the issue has been raised continuously for four years without resolution.
Source: Edu News (association report)
The two main distributor federations, however, distanced themselves from the agitation. The Federation of LPG Distributors of India (FLDI) and the All India LPG Distributors Federation (AILDF) opposed the proposed protest and indefinite strike and said distributors' concerns should be resolved through dialogue with the state-run oil marketing companies and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, according to a report sourced to The Hindu. AILDF assured uninterrupted LPG home delivery, and reports said proposals for a commission revision have already been submitted to the petroleum ministry, whose approval remains pending.
Source: BizzBuzz (The Hindu report)
The CBD Ground was recently identified as one of three designated protest venues in the capital after Jantar Mantar was denotified as a demonstration site; the Ministry of Home Affairs had suggested Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi, Burari Ground and the CBD Ground in Shahdara as the new alternatives, Mirror Now reported.
Source: Mirror Now