Residents complain of repeated trips to Sanquelim for KYC and paperwork
VALPOI
Thousands of HP Gas consumers across Sattari taluka are being forced to travel to the HP Gas agency office in Sankhali to complete KYC verification and other formalities, leading to growing demands for a dedicated HP Gas service centre in Valpoi.
At present, there is no HP Gas agency in Sattari taluka. The area is serviced by a dealer based in Sanquelim, who supplies gas cylinders across the taluka.
While consumers have long complained about delays in cylinder deliveries, they have managed with the arrangement so far.
However, the requirement to complete KYC and other documentation has added to their difficulties.
Many consumers said they are required to visit the Sanquelim office within a specified period to complete KYC and gas-related paperwork.
However, even after making the trip, their work is often not completed in a single visit. At times, the concerned staff are unavailable, while on other occasions the process is postponed, forcing consumers to make repeated visits.
As a result, people are losing time and money, and frustration among consumers is growing.
HP Gas consumer Laxman Gaonkar said a service facility in Valpoi is urgently needed.
“Sanquelim is about 15 km from Valpoi. Consumers from remote villages in Sattari face great hardship travelling there. An HP Gas agency should be opened in Valpoi, and facilities for KYC and document submission should be made available locally,” said Gaonkar.
Sr citizens, women worst affected
Many HP Gas consumers in Sattari are senior citizens who face difficulties travelling to Sankhali. Some depend on public transport, while others have to spend money on private vehicles. Frequent travel is particularly difficult for elderly residents, yet they are required to visit the office for KYC and other formalities.
Many senior citizens are unable to appear in person, resulting in delays in completing their documentation.
Demand for digital KYC
Consumers say that when many government and private services are available online, requiring gas customers to visit an office for KYC is unnecessary. They believe options such as mobile apps, video KYC and online document verification would greatly reduce inconvenience.
Another consumer, Lakshmi Gawas, said the process is especially difficult for women.
“Women have to travel to Sanquelim to submit KYC and other documents, which takes time and costs money. It is not practical to keep making repeated visits while managing household responsibilities. Therefore, digital KYC facilities should be introduced,” said Gawas.
