LPG woes: Long queues, delayed deliveries trouble CG households

Raipur: Long queues outside LPG agencies and delivery delays have been reported from several parts of Chhattisgarh, with consumers in cities such as Raipur, Bilaspur, Durg-Bhilai, Surguja and Raigarh complaining of difficulty in obtaining cooking gas cylinders. Crowds began gathering early in the morning outside agencies and warehouses and waited in the heat for hours hoping to secure a refill. Technical glitches in booking systems online and missed-call booking services have added to the inconvenience, with many consumers being told deliveries could take 10 to 12 days. In some places, booking through online platforms and missed calls was temporarily disrupted due to technical issues and heavy server load. In Bilaspur, Sharda Gas Agency remained shut after stocks ran out, leaving customers wandering from one agency to another. District administration has seized over 200 domestic cylinders in the past two days while cracking down on alleged black-marketing and hoarding, even as videos of illegal gas refilling surfaced on social media.The disruption has also affected businesses. With the supply of commercial LPG cylinders halted, several restaurants and eateries have begun charging a 10% surcharge, while others have reduced items in the menu or shifted to cooking on wood-fired stoves. In districts such as Raigarh and Jagdalpur, hotel operators said the shortage has forced them to make alternative arrangements by using wood-fired stove.Consumers said the situation has disrupted daily life.Santosh Sahu, a resident of Tikrapara in Raipur, said he spent four hours waiting outside an agency only to be told that the stock had run out. "For three days our kitchen has been affected and we are cooking rice on induction, no rotis. Even after standing in line for hours, we were asked to come again later," he said.In Raigarh, consumer Ranjesh Kumar said he booked a cylinder on Mar 5 but has not received it yet. "I have been visiting the agency repeatedly to get the slip generated, but they say the server is down and the supply vehicle has not arrived," he said.Traders in Raipur said demand for induction cooktops has jumped by 10-15% in the past few days, with prices rising by 10-20% as consumers rush to secure backup cooking options.Despite the crowds and complaints, the state administration has maintained that there is no shortage of domestic LPG cylinders, saying only supply of commercial cylinders has been temporarily affected.Deputy chief minister Arun Sao said the situation had arisen due to global circumstances but more due to rumours, urging people not to panic. "There is no shortage of petrol or LPG in the country. People should remain patient and not believe rumours. The govt is taking strict action against black-marketing," Sao said on Saturday. He said teams are continuing inspections to check hoarding and illegal refilling while monitoring supply to ensure the situation stabilises in the coming days.LPG distributors' association attributed the disruptions to technical glitches and supply chain issues. "Due to heavy load on servers and some supply disruptions, the online booking system has been affected. We are taking manual bookings and deliveries are being prioritised," the association said in a statement.