Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 27 Mar: Hundreds of consumers flocked to LPG agencies to buy LPG cylinders as panic over a cooking gas crisis looms across the state. Scores of consumers were seen queuing outside Donyi Polo Gas Agency in Gohpur, Itanagar.
“I made the booking days ago. The home delivery service is yet to come, so I was compelled to come to the agency office to get a cylinder,” said a woman standing in queue.
A similar long queue was seen at Marina Gas Agency in Itanagar, where consumers started queuing up since morning.
“If I hadn’t gone to the agency to collect cylinder today, my family would have had to sleep on empty stomachs from tonight,” said another consumer on the phone.
It is reported that cooking gas scarcity has hit hotel and restaurant businesses hard. Many roadside eateries have reportedly stopped selling items as they find difficult to manage cooking gas.
However, the district administration and the district food and civil supplies department downplayed the LPG supply crisis, reiterating that LPG supply is still stable and there is no need for the public to panic.
“The district administration is closely monitoring the situation, and is in constant touch with the OMCs to ensure regular supply of LPG consignments based on the sales and bookings,” stated Itanagar DFCSO Honi Bayang.
“LPG agencies have been directed to create awareness through media and create WhatsApp groups with consumers to circulate the process of availing through online bookings,” Bayang added.
He informed that LPG agencies have been directed to set up a minimum of two counters at LPG godowns to verify the DAC and issue LPG refills to shorten the service time for consumers in queues.
“Home deliveries shall also be resumed shortly after planning the routes and schedules sector-wise,” he said.
On commercial LPG cylinders, he informed that these are already being issued to priority sectors like hospitals and educational institutes.
“The district administration has corresponded and the OMCs are working on providing commercial LPG cylinders to hotels and private institutes, based on the capping percentages set by the government, and shall be regularised soon,” he said.
The district administration informed also that, after the government advisory issued on 13 March, the process of availing a LPG cylinder refill is being strictly enforced through online booking and verification through DAC (delivery authorisation code).
“Earlier, the consumers were used to availing the refill by getting the issue coupon against their consumer number without the booking. However, now the consumers have to avail the refill only through the process of online booking which is authenticated through DAC before a refill is delivered to the consumer,” it added.
