Despite increase in allocation, SMEs in Kolhan are facing gas crisis. Ranchi News
Jamshedpur: The central government has announced to increase the allocation of commercial LPG to 70% from the existing 50%, but entrepreneurs operating small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kolhan division are apprehensive about the regular allocation of refills.Manav Kedia, president, Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, “The government had earlier increased the allocation from 20% to 50%, but the shortfall on the ground remained for a wide spectrum of small and medium industries. Despite the increase in allocation, what we are actually getting is a matter for us.”
Kedia said that due to the war-induced gas crisis the industry faced problems in getting commercial gas and currently the industry is expecting help from state holders including the state government to facilitate uninterrupted supply of gas refills.Spread over an area of over 3,200 hectares with over 1,200 functional units, Adityapur Industrial Area depends heavily on commercial LPG for the necessary engineering processing, entrepreneurs said. Industrial Stability and Reforms Organization (ISRO), an organization of automobile supporting units of Adityapur industrial area, said that small units are still facing difficulty in arranging LPG cylinders.ISRO Secretary Sameer Singh said, “A handful of large industries operating in Jamshedpur, Adityapur and Chaibasa receive supplies directly from LPG companies and will benefit from the increase in allocation. Most of the subsidiaries taking LPG refills from local distributors are facing a crisis as commercial LPG supply to the distribution agency is irregular.”Industry insiders have said that many automobile accessories companies are waiting for uninterrupted supply of LPG refills to complete the pending metal work.Regional Director of Jharkhand Industrial Area Development Authority, Prem Ranjan assured cooperation to the entrepreneurs. “If the supporting operators are not getting regular LPG refills, we will hold talks with them and talk to the gas supply companies to resolve the problems,” he said.