Govt advises against ‘panic booking’, warns LPG hoarders
New Delhi, March 13: Panic reigned in the streets on Friday as a scramble for domestic gas made people queue up across states, eateries shut shop, and reports of hoarding made rounds, even as the Centre insisted there was no shortage of LPG in the country.
The Centre on Friday said uninterrupted LPG supply to households has been ensured, and there is no need for panic booking for cylinders. The government said it is ensuring an uninterrupted supply of cooking gas to households amid a surge in panic bookings, and advised around 60 lakh households located near piped natural gas (PNG) networks to consider switching to piped connections for convenience.
It warned hoarders and black marketers of strict action if they try to exploit the crisis created by the war in West Asia.
Briefing the media, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said the domestic production of LPG has already increased by 30 per cent since March 5.
“There is no need for panic booking, and there has been no dry out at any LPG dealer,” Sharma added.
LPG bookings have surged to 75.7 lakh against an average of 55.7 lakh in the pre-war period, “showing panic booking”, she said.
All the same, long queues were witnessed outside LPG distribution centres across Bihar despite the district administrations claiming there was no shortage of domestic gas cylinders.
People turned up in large numbers at distribution agencies in Patna, Bhagalpur, Rohtas, Katihar and other districts.
The West Asia conflict has impacted the supply of crude oil and petroleum products, following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage of water between Iran and Oman.
In Delhi, the gas crunch sent small-scale traders into financial distress.
In the city’s Adarsh Nagar, a food vendor named Vicky said he paid around Rs 4,000 for a small cylinder.
Many vendors said they are now dipping into savings or taking loans to manage daily household expenses.
The Madhya Pradesh Hotel Association (MPHA) advised eateries to ditch gas-cooked rotis for traditional wood-fired “tandoors” and “crisis menus” to keep their businesses running.
The association issued an advisory asking establishments to prioritise dishes that require lower gas usage or shorter cooking cycles.
Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA) said that around 40 per cent of restaurants in the state were on the verge of closing down.
Kolkata’s super-speciality Desun Hospital introduced temporary menu changes to cope with the limited availability of cooking gas.
In the rest of the state, people stood with empty LPG cylinders outside gas agency centres – from Kakdwip in the south to Siliguri in the north – claiming that they were not being able to make bookings online.
Protests and road blockades occurred in several parts of Odisha on Friday, with consumers complaining about delays in receiving refilled cooking gas cylinders.
Long queues were seen outside LPG distribution centres across the state as people waited for refills, often days after booking.
In the state’s Jajpur town, residents blocked a road by placing empty LPG cylinders after a local distributor shut its office, displaying a “No Stock Today” notice.
In Keonjhar district, residents blocked the Keonjhar–Sanaghagara road over the scarcity of LPG cylinders, disrupting vehicular movement for some time.
In Bengaluru, a housing society body advised residents against mass booking of gas cylinders.
Bangalore Apartments’ Federation (BAF) strongly advised residents not to book multiple cylinders unnecessarily, stating that panic booking creates artificial shortages.
The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Committee on Friday sought the petroleum minister’s help in ensuring a steady supply of LPG cylinders for langar (community kitchen) service.
In a letter to Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, the DSGMC said the war in West Asia has affected the langar service across gurdwaras for want of LPG because its supply has been “stopped” by the gas agencies.
In Rajasthan’s Kota, a shortage of domestic and commercial LPG cylinders sent panic in the coaching hub with the presence of around 4,000 hostels and over 500 mess facilities.
Instances of hoarding were dealt with by police in at least two states.
Two people were arrested and detained under the Goondas Act in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai for allegedly hoarding 398 LPG cylinders for black marketing.
In Karnataka’s Yadgit, 46 domestic LPG cylinders, allegedly being used for commercial purposes in hotels, were seized during a special drive.
Deputy Commissioner Harshal Bhoyar said that the domestic cylinders were being used for commercial activities instead of household cooking, which violates the Essential Commodities Act and LPG supply rules.
MPs protest
Opposition MPs held a protest in the Parliament Complex over the LPG crisis issue, and raised slogans demanding answers from Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
TMC MPs started the protest around 10.30 am on Friday outside the Parliament building, holding posters, chanting “LPG crisis”, and raising slogans attacking the ruling BJP, questioning “where did the gas cylinders go?”
They were joined by MPs from Congress and other INDIA bloc parties. (PTI)
