Queues for LPGs disappear in city as online booking resumes

Ranchi: Long queues outside gas agencies disappeared on Monday as online book of domestic LPG cylinders resumed in the state capital.

Consumers and gas agency operators also breathed a sigh of relief and hoped for gradual easing of the ongoing crisis. Those who could not book LPG cylinders online did so manually.

“Online booking had been difficult for the past few days as the heavy call volume caused the system to crash. But now, the system has been upgraded, and consumers are availing the online booking facility. That has significantly reduced the number of people visiting the agency for bookings,” Jayant Kumar Chauhan, a gas agency owner at Lalpur, said.

Even though supplies eased, panic buying was still underway ahead of the Eid festivities, distributors said. “So, we are trying to provide cylinders first to Muslim families so that they do not panic ahead of the festival. I hope from Wednesday onwards, the situation will be completely normalised,” he added.

Dealers said each agency is distributing anywhere between 400-500 cylinders daily.

Kumar Rupesh, owner of Bariatu Indane gas agency, said that the situation has improved in his agency too. “Initially, people were afraid as they could not book cylinders. Now that the system is working smoothly, customers too have heaved a sigh of relief. From Saturday, we have supplied 350- 420 cylinders a day in the city,” Rupesh he said.

Several residents said the booking process, which had remained disrupted earlier, has now started functioning normally. Over the past week, LPG consumers across the city had queued up outside gas agencies amid difficulties in booking cylinders, while several complained that helpline numbers released for manual booking were not responding.

Sony Kumar, a Dhurwa resident, said, “On Sunday, the 25th day of my previous cylinder purchasing has completed. And on Monday, I could book the next cylinder without any hassle. It seems the situation is improving slowly.”