Ghost LPG deliveries spark outrage among people in Patna, DM orders action

Patna: Ghost deliveries and unauthorised refill entries in gas distributors’ records have triggered outrage among residents in Patna amid the ongoing LPG crisis. Consumers allege that gas distributors are falsely marking cylinders as delivered without supplying them. Several complaints on social media point to possible diversion and black-marketing of LPG cylinders, with delivery staff allegedly creating fake entries. Ghost deliveries are that where LPG cylinders are marked as delivered in company records without actually reaching consumers.

Two of the complaints posted on X directly appealed to the district administration and oil companies to look into the issue. Sharing screenshots of his mother Samroon Nisha’s LPG account, Abdus Salam, a resident of Bhagwanpur, said an unauthorised refill entry dated Feb 24, 2026, appeared in the system.




“The gas agency sent a message showing a refill delivered on Feb 24, with the next booking allowed only on April 11, 2026. We did not take any cylinder in the last one year. We didn’t even book the gas—someone took it away. This is black-marketing by the gas agency. I’m really troubled by this,” he wrote on X.

A resident of Mithapur, Vickey Kumar, reported a similar experience. “I booked a gas refill and paid for it, but I did not receive the cylinder, even though the status shows ‘delivered’. Why is this recurring problem in Patna, Bihar? It should be addressed immediately,” he said.

These incidents are not isolated. Similar complaints from Patna and surrounding areas point to a same pattern—SMS alerts claiming delivery on specific dates, followed by empty connections and blocked re-bookings. Some consumers suspect cylinders are being diverted to the black market, with digital records manipulated to close delivery entries.

Jitendra Kumar said he booked a cylinder on Feb 22 but never received it, despite getting an SMS confirming delivery. Tagging the district administration on X, he wrote on Sunday, “Please investigate and arrange delivery urgently,” while also sharing details of the gas agency.

Earlier, a Kadamkuan resident, Birendra Kumar, flagged a similar issue. “Our LPG booking is showing ‘delivered’, but no one actually came to deliver it. At a time when the country is already facing gas supply tightness, these ghost deliveries only add to confusion and mistrust,” he said.

Responding to the allegations, Patna district magistrate Thiyagarajan SM told this newspaper that the administration is examining such cases and strict action will be taken. “We will hold a meeting with representatives of the gas companies and place before them the issues faced by the common people. Action will be taken against those responsible,” he said.