Preying on human helplessness
Mangaluru: I had ordered for an LPG refill from Mangalore Gas and General Agencies distributors for LPG for Hindustan Peritoneum. since both of us are busy and mostly not at home I had placed the empty cylinder outside my flat and had given the price of the refill 513.50 rupees to the building watchman. But, luckily for me as subsequent events show, I was at home when the cylinder arrived. The delivery man refused to accept the 500 rupee note from the watchman who brought him to me.
When I informed him that there was a rule from the govt. of India that old notes will be accepted up to a specified date they said that their owner had made a rule that it could not be. When I called them they said that it was their rule! So, I had to gather money from here and there to pay them as they said they will take back the cylinder! It was not too much of a problem as we were at home. But, that set me thinking of the problems that helpless people would have faced.
So, on the next working day, I called the distributor Mangalore Gas and General Agencies on their land line 2451740 to ask for the number of company representation which they said they do not have. Really surprised, by that but angry at this sort of a behaviour from the staff of a public sector undertaking owned by the people of India I took the trouble of identifying the officer in charge S. Guha and his cell no was 9483067928 and his email id is sguha@hpcl.in.
While this looks like a minor incident the following questions do arise:
1. How can a local distributor decide the policy for a public sector undertaking?
2. How is that the distributor’s premises have not displayed and his staff do not know the name and number of the company officer in charge?
3. Who is accountable for this sort of rude behaviour of the delivery staff and the employees of the distributor?
While the country is going through a crisis there are people like this petty distributor adding to the confusion. While people like us are in a position to complain, hit back and kick them where it hurts how about the common people? Who is to safeguard them? After getting the number of the officer in charge I called the distributor and told them to put up a board with the name and cell number of the person to whom consumers can complain but the person at the other end said that I have to speak to the owner. When he called me to apologise I told him to give his explanation to the people.
For The Consumers Education Trust of Mangalore