With people trying to secure their total allocated quota of subsidised lPG cylinders before March 31, the backlog of lPG cylinders has increased by about 20 per cent in all the gas agencies of Uttarakhand, while the supply of cylinders from Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) remained the same.
If authorities fail to improve delivery of cooking gas, the issue might influence voters’ choice in the coming lok Sabha elections.
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Dehradun area manager VK Sundriyal said that in comparison with last year, up to 15 per cent additional cylinders were being supplied in March, from Haridwar bottling plant for the last two weeks. He said that customers’ demand to procure this financial year’s quota on subsidised cylinders had increased the backlog at agencies in Dehradun, Haridwar and mountainous districts of state.
IOC officials will be sent to gas agencies for reviewing the backlog being claimed by the agencies and based on their report the requirement will be met from the bottling plants if needed, he added.
Meanwhile, customers were seen booking cylinders or procuring refills at various gas agencies on Thursday.
Raipur resident MS Rawat said, “I had booked a cylinder a month ago at Sahkarita Indane Gas Agency but am yet to get a refill.”
Jagdamba Indane Gas Agency owner MC Joshi said that after IOC’s decision on providing 11 subsidised lPG cylinders by March 31- one each in February and March in this year’s quota - customers have started booking their cylinders to procure remaining cylinders from the agency. “This agency has issued around 9,000 gas connections and we have currently a backlog of over 1500 cylinders. The customers’ hurry to procure their quota of subsidised cylinders has increased the backlog while supply of cylinders from the company remains the same. Most agencies in the city have a similar backlog,” he said.
Joshi further said, “We receive one or two truckloads - 270 cylinders per truck- every two to three days totalling to about 5000 cylinders per month from IOC whereas we have 9000 customers,” he added.