Question : Setting up of LPG Outlets

(a) whether the Government proposes to set up more LPG agencies in view of the demand of LPG connections and Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) and if so, the details thereof along with number of LPG outlets set up in the country during the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise including Uttar Pradesh;
(b) whether the Government proposes to allot LPG agencies to the educated unemployed youth in the areas lacking the facility to provide employment and if so, the details thereof along with the time by which the said proposal is likely to be implemented;
(c) the number of cases of diversion of domestic LPG cylinders for commercial use, underweight and LPG pilferage reported/come to the notice of the Government during the said period and head-wise action taken against persons/ LPG agencies separately, State/UT/yearwise; and
(d) whether the Government has issued strict guidelines to petroleum companies to remove said irregularities and appointed any committee to study the reasons behind growing cases of LPG pilferage/underweight/diversion of cylinders and if so, the details thereof along with corrective action taken to control and punish those involved therein, State/UTwise?

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)
(a) Appointment of LPG distributorships is a continuous process and locations for setting up of LPG distributorships are identified based on refill sales potential that
makes them commercially viable. OMCs have recently advertised 2843 locations to set up new LPG distributorships and Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has sanctioned 114 Durgam Kshetriya Vitrak (DKV) to different State Governments on nomination basis to set up LPG distributorships in special and difficult areas. State/UT-wise details of LPG distributorships commissioned during the last three years and April-2017 to June 2017 are at Annexure-I.
(b) Under the Unified Guidelines for Selection of LPG Distributorships 2016, all Indian citizens, including unemployed youth, are eligible for applying for LPG distributorships subject to fulfilling the selection guidelines.
(c) State/UT-wise details of established cases of diversion of domestic LPG cylinders and cases of supplying of partially used cylinders/pilferage during the period of last three years(2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17) and for the period from April, 2017 to June 2017 are at Annexure-II.
(d) OMCs carry regular surprise inspections at distributors premises, conduct refill audits, surprise checks at customers premises, en-route checking of delivery vehicles etc. OMCs take punitive action under the prevailing Marketing Discipline Guidelines(MDG) and the Distributorship Agreement against LPG distributors in all established cases of irregularities.