Shortage in supply of lPG cylinders to domestic consumers has led to a crisis in Jeypore town.
In view of the problem, hundreds of consumers are seen standing in a queue from 6 am outside several gas agencies every day for taking domestic gas cylinders. On Monday last, hundreds of consumers were seen standing in queues since morning outside Maruti gas agency, which distributes lPG cylinders in the town. Tension flared up at the spot around 11 am after many of them did not get cylinders even after standing for several hours.
The irate consumers blamed the staff of the gas agency for creating an artificial scarcity of lPG cylinders in the town. They alleged that the employees of the gas agency are selling the lPG cylinders in the black market and are blaming the company for not supplying adequate number of cylinders.
They further alleged that the Maruti Gas agency had not supplied lPG cylinders to domestic consumers in the last three months citing various reasons. “While the Government has made provisions for supplying nine cylinders to a domestic consumer in a year, this agency has so far provided only two cylinders to each consumer. We doubt whether it will be able to supply the remaining seven cylinders to each consumer by next year March,” they complained.
“Surprisingly, lPG cylinders are being sold in the black at a cost of `1,000 to `1,200, while these are not being given to domestic consumers. This apart, the gas agency is also not providing door-to-door service. As a result, we are forced to come here and wait for several hours for cylinders,” they said.
They added that the employees of the gas agency do not receive phone calls of the consumers and often misbehave with the latter. In view of the tension at the spot, the owner of the gas agency and some officials of the Civil Supplies department reached the spot and held discussions with the irate consumers. Jeypore town police also went there to bring the situation under control.
But, they failed to convince the consumers. The situation, however, was brought under control after the gas agency owner announced that each person standing in the queue would be given one lPG cylinder.