Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali today inaugurated Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) depot at Leh for winter stocking of LPG for the area.During the function, the Minister was informed that besides LPG, the depot will also stock 600KL of petrol and 200 KL of diesel for this year’s winter.Later, the Minister held a review meeting with Oil Companies- Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) where the Minister asked the companies to open up eight new retail petrol pumps in district Leh. He also asked the companies to establish the pumps within one year. Besides, he also asked, the representative from the oil companies to enhance capacity of Bottling Plant of Indian Oil from 1500 to 1800 metric tons.
CEC, LAHDC Leh, Dr Sonam Dawa, Councilors, Tassaduq Jeelani Director Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Kashmir, Nissan Ahmed Wani, Special Secretary FCSCA, Moses Kunzang ADC Leh, Technical Officer Legal Metrology Department, Joint Controller Legal Metrology Kashmir, Deputy Director Ladakh Supplies FCSCA, Manager LPG Kashmir Leh, Assistant Director FCSCA Leh, Plant Manager Leh and other district officers were present on the occasion.Earlier the Minister also convened an interactive meeting with LAHDC members, Department of Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, and Legal Metrology Department.Mr. Zulfkar Ali also suggested LAHDC to conduct survey of households with and without gas connection, and to submit a realistic recommendation of places for opening of new LPG Gas outlets in the district. He said that Leh having geographical disadvantage and different topography cannot be compared with rest of state and said that he would take up the matter with Union Government to guarantee maximum policy relaxation in case of LPG Outlets and Retail Outlets for the area.
To expedite the work on the decisions taken in the meeting, ADC Leh was designated as Nodal Officer to execute these decisions on ground and report to FCS&CA Ministry and LAHDC on daily basis. He directed AD FCS&CA Leh and Meteorology department Leh to intensify market checking. He directed Animal Husbandry Department to purchase grading machine and the concerned departments to organize consumer awareness camps in consultation with councilors. He also instructed to replace old and traditional weighing tools with digital ones and to submit an estimate for renovation of godowns, office building and ordered for distribution of new ration cards to all the applicants in the district byNovember 5, 2016Later, the Minister also conducted surprise visit of various Food stores, FCI godowns and Bottling Plant of Indian Oil Corporation Limited in the town, during which he instructed FCS&CA Department and Oil Marketing Companies to reach out to people in every part of the district and provide them better facilities. He instructed for sufficient winter stocking of food grains and oil products in the district.