Get LPG cylinder even at 10 pm

NEW DELHI: Soon, working couples who do not have other family members or a domestic help will not have to worry about who will take delivery of that cooking gas refill. If a proposal being examined by the oil ministry is cleared, the dealers may deliver cylinders at a time designated by you till 10 pm.

As part of his initiative to improve cooking gas service, junior oil minister Jitin Prasada has asked a committee under additional secretary in the ministry to prepare within a month a report and guidelines for launching ���flexitime��� delivery of cooking gas cylinders in at least metros.

������ Taking delivery of refills is a big problem for working couples and middle class households that do not have a domestic help. They either miss delivery and then have to transport the cylinder themselves or have to juggle work schedules to take delivery . Sometimes it can be a whole day. I have told the oil companies to see how flexitime delivery can be started, at least in the metros to begin with,������ Prasada said.

A flexitime delivery service for cooking gas could also prompt others such as courier services and banks to follow suit as the problems faced by consumers are similar. At present, none of these services take account of the changing realities of an increase in the number of unit families or working couples, at least in metros and major cities.

Prasada had last month got state-run oil marketing companies to launch electronic booking service through voice-assisted system and SMS. The service has been launched in Delhi and is to be rolled out gradually in other metros and major cities. The new system will be simple and somewhat similar to railway inquiry or phone-banking services.