In Steel City, locals are weathering lengthy waits and disputes at LPG booking centers, spurred by anxiety over potential shortages. Accusations of black-market dealings and phantom deliveries are running rampant, contributing to a staggering backlog of over 60,000 gas cylinders. The surge in daily bookings reflects a rise in panic among residents.
Jamshedpur: Long queues outside LPG booking centres and godowns and brawls over allegations of black-marketing and ghost deliveries of cylinders are becoming a regular affair in Steel City, locals said.Apprehension about LPG stocks likely being exhausted prompted consumers to shove each other for receiving delivery of cylinders at a gas agency in Baradwari on Thursday.“Our booking centre was closed for about a week as there were no stocks of domestic cylinders. After the stocks arrived, we reopened the booking office leading to long queues of consumers. Apprehending that the existing stocks might get exhausted soon, the consumers got involved in a confrontation to collect delivery receipts,” said agency owner Pawan Kumar.In another incident on Thursday, a clash broke out between a consumer and distribution agency personnel at a gas agency in Sonari, after the former alleged black-marketing of LPG refills.In a similar incident on April 1, consumers got unruly at another agency’s godown in Adityapur, accusing the distribution agency of indulging in black-marketing, due to which consumers were not getting refills on time.Earlier, consumers created a brawl at gas booking office on March 30, alleging ghost deliveries of domestic cylinders.
Amid the scenes of altercation and protests at the distribution agencies, the delivery backlog has crossed 60,000.The city reported 18,000 domestic LPG bookings on a single day on April 1, which is 7,000 more than the average daily figure.“Trend suggests bookings are being driven by panic. People are apprehensive about the availability of LPG cylinders,” Jamshedpur circle supply officer of Indane, Shakeel Ahmad, told the media.East Singhbhum district supplies officer (DSO) Zulfikar Ansari urged the people not to panic and not go for multiple bookings.
