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        The issue of 'scarcity of LPG connections in Tamilnadu' is now threatening to get onto the political landscape as the main opposition AIADMK is in no mood to give up on it.

        While the free land for farmers, two rupee rice, and other pet schemes of the DMK had won brownie points for the government, the new regulations to get domestic LPG connection and refill was one of the many issues that the AIADMK took up in a big way to embarrass the government.
 

        The party has held demonstrations throughout the State demanding free LPG supply and it got a good deal of publicity which prompted the Union government to release a series of advertisements in English and regional newspapers saying that domestic LPG is freely available.

        The AIADMK has been maintaining that with the free gas stove scheme there is a scarcity in the domestic LPG supply and wants the government to come out with realistic solutions rather than political counter arguments.

        With the revised guidelines, which is in force for sometime now, the supply of LPG cylinders is restricted to 'one family (ration) card, one connection.'

        Until the new regulations were in place, two connections were also allowed in the names of two individuals of the same family. The gas agencies are now being asked to ensure one connection for a ration card and agencies ask the consumers to produce the ration cards and take an endorsement in this regard.

        The consumers could book a cylinder only after 21 days from the supply of the previous one. The waiting time for the refill ranges from a week to 15 days depending on the agency and area, it is said.

        Speaking to News Today, senior manager of Indian Oil R Chidambaram said the new regulations were only aimed at preventing commercial diversion of home cylinders. 'Regulations were brought in only after an extensive study,' Chidambaram said and added that the government incurred a huge subsidy burden on domestic LPGs. When such heavily subsidised products were used for commercial reasons it would only drain the government's financial resources. The senior official of the oil major also explained that for a family of 5 members a cylinder would be sufficient for a month.

        R Sreenivasan, 66, a resident of Vanniya Teynampet and a retired railway official, said his was a large joint family and that they are put to a lot of trouble as the cylinder gets exhausted within 20 days. He rued that there were no provisions for double connection for bigger families.

        While sources in the DMK said the party is thinking of an action- plan to counter the AIADMK propaganda on the issue, office-bearers of several resident welfare associations and NGOs want the government to look into the grievances of genuine consumers and redress it as LPG is the lifeline of urban homes.