Ranchi LPG Crisis: Consumers Queue for Cylinders Amid Shortage, Police Intervene

Ranchi: Tension prevailed across the city on Sunday as consumers queued in different locations to refill LPG cylinders amid the ongoing LPG crisis.

In the city’s Bada Talab area, under the Daily Market police station limits, a minor scuffle broke out among consumers on Sunday while they queued to refill cylinders. However, police personnel brought the situation under control, preventing any untoward incident.

Daily Market police station in-charge Ravi Kumar Sinha told TOI that near the Bada Talab area, around 150 consumers gathered to procure cylinders. “Out of them, many were promised by a gas agency that it would deliver the cylinders on Sunday. While they were queuing, some more consumers came up, and they also demanded cylinders. That led to chaos among the consumers, and they engaged in verbal altercations. As police got information about the incident, a team arrived there and brought the situation under control,” Sinha added.

Following police intervention, any probable untoward event was prevented in the area. “We are keeping a close watch over the situation so that people do not resort to any violent activities and break law and order,” Sinha said.

Despite repeated assurances from the Ranchi district administration that adequate LPG supplies would be made available, hundreds of consumers continued to queue at various locations across the city from early morning. Many customers complained that even after waiting for hours and making prior bookings, they were unable to obtain cylinders. Consumers said the shortage severely affected their daily lives, with many households running out of cooking gas.

Meanwhile, Indian Oil Corporation Limited launched phone numbers for its affiliated gas agencies, providing manual gas booking facilities to residents.

During a recent review meeting, Ranchi deputy commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri directed officials to strictly monitor the LPG crisis and prevent any attempt at black marketing of LPG cylinders in the district.