As supply reaches doorsteps, LPG bookings slow down

Panaji: After govt intervened last week, queuing outside LPG dealers stopped, and a drop of 10-15% was reported in bookings, but people’s concern over availability of LPG has not vanished.

An LPG dealer at Dona Paula said that since Monday, their bookings averaged 300 per day, down from 400-500 requests per day last week. “We now have three vehicles for delivery, instead of two, to expedite deliveries,” he said.




Uttam Gauns, secretary at Shri Navadurga Gas Agency, Bicholim, said they receive 50 to 60 bookings per day as against 150 per day last week.

Gauresh Kundalkar, manager of Shree Mahalasa Gas Agency, Ponchwadi, Ponda, said although their bookings have dropped from 300 per day to 150 per day, they still have three vehicles for delivery.

“People keep calling to confirm delivery. It is difficult to pacify them,” he said. A gas dealer in St Inez said bookings have gone down, and they deliver a cylinder within four to five days, lest anxious consumers come to their office.

LPG delivery staff are left facing unusual challenges as they go about doing their duty. “One of our consumers halted our LPG delivery van, claiming he had not received delivery,” he said.

Janardhan Chodankar, at Kadesh Gas Service in Pilar, said consumers are curious if the 25-day window period for booking a re-fill will be reduced. RM Pillai, a domestic LPG consumer from Merces, said, “People are bound to get worried if delivery of a gas cylinder is not received within eight days when govt repeatedly says that there is no shortage.”