The government has changed the LPG distributorship selection standards and created a unified set of guidelines for all sorts of LPG distributorships in Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).

Different Types of Distributorship Areas in India:

Rurban Vitrak:

According to the guidelines, the term “Rural-Urban” refers to an LPG distributor who is located in an “Urban Area” and also provides service to LPG customers in a “Rural Area,” which takes in all the villages within the 15 kilometres of the LPG distributorship location and/or the area specified by the respective OMCs. Rurban Vitrak will be the name of the LPG distributors serving this area.

Sheheri Vitrak:

In the guidelines, the term ‘Urban Area’ will have the Census 2011 meaning of ‘Urban.’ Sheheri Vitrak, an LPG distributorship located in the ‘Urban Area (U)’, will serve LPG consumers located inside the Municipal Limits of the Metro city/city/town.

Gramin Vitrak:

In the guidelines, the term “Rural Area” will have the Census 2011 meaning of “Rural.” Gramin Vitrak, an LPG distributorship located in a ‘Rural Region,’ will serve the LPG clients in the specified rural area. In general, it will encompass all villages within 15 kilometres of the LPG Distributorship location’s border limitations and/or the region indicated by the individual OMCs.

Durgam Kshetriya Vitrak:

LPG distributors would be established in Difficult and Special Places (such as hilly regions, forests, tribal inhabited areas, sparsely populated, disturbed areas, islands, and Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) impacted areas) where Gramin and Rurban Vitrak are not possible. Durgam Kshetriya Vitrak shall be the name given to such LPG distributors. They will provide service to LPG clients in DKV zones designated by the individual OMCs.

The Baic Eligibility Criteria to Apply for an LPG Distributorship in India:

• Applicants have to be a citizen of India and a resident of India.
• Applicants have to pass a recognized Board’s minimum 10th standard examination or equivalent. The educational qualification criteria do not apply to applicants in the Freedom Fighter (FF) category.
• Not be a family member of an OMC employee at the time of application.
• Applicants seeking places designated under the FF category have no age restrictions.
• As of the date of the advertising, you must be between the ages of 21 and 60.
• Meet the requirements for multiple dealerships and distributorships.
• Possess a minimum-sized parcel of land for the building of an LPG godown or as of the application deadline, you must have a ready LPG cylinder storage godown.
• Not be a signatory to a distributorship or any dealership agreement that has been dissolved due to malpractices or adulteration.

LPG Distributorships Require Basic Infrastructure to Operate:

Storage of LPG in Cylinders at a Godown:

LPG Distributor would require a storage facility. The Chief Controller of Explosives of the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) has approved and licensed a godown for the storage of:

• 8000 kg LPG in cylinders (Sheheri and Rurban Vitrak).
• Durgam Kshetriya Vitrak has 3000 kg of LPG in cylinders.
• LPG cylinders containing 5000 kg (Gramin Vitrak).

The applicant must own a minimum-sized block of land:

• 25 × 30 metres of size (within 15 kilometres of the municipal/town/village borders of the given location in the same state) (Sheheri and Rurban Vitrak).
• 15 x 16 metres (within the hamlet/clustered village borders as per the advertised location) (Gramin Vitrak).
• The dimensions are 21 x 26 metres (within 15 km from the advertised location) (Vitrak Vitamin).

The site for the godown should be level, in a single continuous plot, and clear of active overhead power lines or telephone lines. Canals, drainage systems, and nallahs should not run through the land.

The chosen bidder must guarantee that an all-weather motorable approach road (public or private road linking to a public road) with a minimum width of 2.5 metres is built to provide LPG Cylinder Trucks access to the given land for godown / LPG Godown. If a private road connects to a public road, it should be either owned/leased or have a right of way from the landowner(s).

Infrastructure:

Infrastructure for LPG Cylinder Home Delivery – In addition to the Godown for LPG cylinder storage and the Showroom, Delivery Vehicles will be required for LPG cylinder home delivery in the authorized area of operation.

Showroom:

A Showroom with minimum outside dimensions of 3 m x 4.5 m as per the standard plan is to be built in a shop/land located in the advertised location, i.e. within the municipal/town/village borders of the place stated in the ‘location’ column of the advertising.

If a ‘locality’ is also stated in the ‘location’ column of the advertisement for an LPG distributorship, a showroom with minimum outside dimensions of 3 metre by 4.5 metre must be built in a shop/land located in the said ‘locality.’ A proper approach road should make the showroom easily accessible to the general public.

Distributorship tenure:

The distributorship will be for a 10-year initial term, renewable every five years thereafter, subject to the relevant OMC’s review of the distributorship’s performance and decision.

The Procedure for Submitting an Application:

Individuals who meet the Sheheri Vitrak qualifying requirements must fill out an online application form.

Individuals who meet the requirements for all other types of distributorships can submit an application form, which can be downloaded for free from OMC websites.

Only one application per site should be submitted. If a person submits more than one application, all of the applications will be combined and processed as a single application. All application fees collected against other applications will be forfeited in such instances.

An applicant may apply for multiple positions. However, he or she will have to file a new application for each location in this situation. The required application fee must be included with each application to get approved.

Gas Distributor Selection Method:

Applications are invited through advertising in three daily newspapers: one with the biggest circulation in the state and two with the highest circulation in the district where the venue is located. The LPG distributor for an advertised location is chosen by a random drawing from among all qualifying applications for that location.