It’s time Dharmendra Pradhan, MoS for petroleum and natural gas, fixed responsibility for incidents occurring due to lack of customer awareness in the safe use of LPG. On Tuesday, LPG distributors alleged that oil marketing companies are ignoring safety issues in the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna (PMUY), a welfare scheme targeting 50 million free LPG connections for poor households — a case in point being the recent gas leak in Saharanpur which saw almost an entire family being killed.

Oil companies were quick to rebut, saying LPG safety education has always been an important area of concern and commitment for them and that a regular system is in place for creating customer awareness about the safe use of LPG. But someone has to be held accountable. Without accountability how will we avoid accidents that could derail such welfare schemes?

What can Pradhan do? For one, he can fix collective responsibility — both on oil companies as well as distributors. If oil companies have to ensure safety standards and create awareness programmes, the distributors can do regular advocacy. Agreed, it is easier to spread awareness in urban areas, and PMUY is targeting poor households. The Centre, oil companies and the distributors all have to get involved when working on awareness programmes. While using local radio stations and TV channels to propagate LPG safety education is one way, another is involving self-help groups and NGOs to speak to women and those who work the kitchen about safety measures.

Oil companies say that with the support of State governments they are working on a plan to train anganwadi workers, health workers and Ashaben on the safe use of cooking gas in the kitchen. But the action time has to reduce.

Chief of Bureau, Delhi

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