VASCO: Following the expose on pilferage of gas from cylinders by workers of Margao-based gas agency at Benaulim, the officials of Legal Metrology (Weights & Measures) Vasco, along with the Civil Supplies officials from Vasco have formed a special team to conduct surprise check drives at gas agency offices and godown.
In one such surprise check at Baina on Monday morning, officials from both departments, in presence of officials from BPCL and HPCL, checked every gas cylinder that was loaded for delivery to customers and found that almost all gas cylinders had the required quantity of gas.
However, during similar checks conducted by officials recently, the net weight of gas cylinders were found normal but the scales used by the agencies were not stamped by the office of Legal Metrology (Weights & Measures) and thus the same were seized.
Speaking to reporters, inspector Ranjana M Borkar said that the drive was to check the weight content in gas cylinders.
After the recent pilferage case reported at Benaulim, we along with the officials of civil supplies decided to form a joint team and have started conducting such surprise checks at gas agencies and godowns located under our jurisdiction from Monday. Our motto is to ensure that customer’s right should be protected and they should get gas cylinders refilled with proper weight. We also appeal to the customers to keep a vigil and to check the weight of cylinders before taking delivery from agency and if in doubt, customers have full right to ask for other cylinder, she said.
Commenting about the seizure of weighing scales, she informed that a few days ago she along with other officials from Legal Metrology (Weights & Measures) office from Vasco had conducted similar check and found that the weighing scales used by three gas agencies from Vasco were not stamped by our office and hence we seized all such scales. We would continue our surprise checks in future” she told.
