Residents struggle to secure LPG cylinders as booking systems falter; Delivery delays and technical issues exacerbate the situation

Ranchi: Residents across the city continued to queue up at gas agencies on Friday too, to refill their LPG cylinders and enquire about their bookings, as they faced difficulties in bookings through designated phone numbers and apps of petroleum companies. Many also faced difficulties in purchasing cylinders despite prior bookings.

In many areas across the city, consumers lined up on roads to purchase cylinders and enquire about their availability. While some could purchase, many could not.

A resident of Hindpiri area, Asif Iqbal, who visited a gas agency in Lalpur to purchase a cylinder, returned empty-handed. “I booked a cylinder 15 days ago. When I enquired with the delivery guy on Friday morning about purchasing one, he asked me to visit the agency. But they said there is a shortage of cylinders and asked me to wait for a few days. With Eid approaching, I require a cylinder, but I am not getting one,” Asif added.

A resident of Kokar, Nitin Kumar, said that the LPG delivery vehicle did not visit his neighbourhood for the last few days, creating inconvenience for him and other residents. “It has been around one month since I last purchased an LPG cylinder. The refill date is approaching, but I could not buy one yet,” Nitin added.

Many others are struggling with gas booking as platforms are facing technical issues. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) on Thursday released phone numbers to assist consumers with manual gas bookings due to a technical snag. However, many consumers complained that most of the numbers either did not respond or were continuously engaged. In some instances, the numbers were switched off.

“From Friday morning, I dialled the numbers many times, but they were busy for a long time. Also, when they responded, they asked me to visit the gas agency for booking,” Pritam Oraon, a local, said.

Ranchi deputy commissioner Manujnath Bhajantri said, “The numbers are flooded with numerous calls, so the consumers may face inconvenience. They need to call between 10 am and 5 pm for their bookings. We are in contact with the gas agencies to solve the issues faced by customers.”

Gas agency owners also complained that they received continuous calls from customers since Thursday night. “There was not a minute of gap since around 11 pm on Thursday. I am tired of receiving calls. Also, a cylinder cannot be booked on a call; the customer has to visit the agency with their valid card to purchase a cylinder. Many agencies may have kept their phones off to evade the situation,” Dineshwar Singh, a gas agency owner, said.