Tempers rise, panic breaks out at cooking gas outlet

Bhopal: A glitch in the domestic LPG booking system triggered confusion and frustration in Jehangirabad on Thursday, as residents struggled to place orders and a growing crowd gathered outside a gas office near Jinsi Square. With the booking server down and the agency office closed, tensions rose and some people raised slogans demanding immediate access, prompting police and district officials to step in to restore order and reassure the public that supplies remained sufficient.According to Jehangirabad SHO Rajan Ahirwar, many consumers reached a gas agency located near Jinsi Square after they were unable to book their domestic LPG cylinders online. As the booking server was down, the agency office was not functioning, which led to confusion and panic among the public. The crowd began raising slogans and demanding immediate booking.Acting on the information, a police team from Jehangirabad Police Station reached the spot and called the agency operators to the office. Police then counselled the gathered consumers and asked the operators to begin offline booking of LPG cylinders to ease the situation.District administration officials, including the tehsildar, also reached the spot and assured people that there was no shortage of LPG supply and there was no need to panic. SHO Ahirwar said the situation, which occurred around noon, was brought under control after the intervention, and that the panic largely spread due to miscommunication. He added that police are continuing to keep a close watch on the situation.