With the festive season approaching nearer, the common people are facing acute domestic fuel crunch as not a single truck carrying cylinders has been reaching the gas agencies based in Dehradun region from the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) bottling plants in Haridwar for the past four days, said the gas agency owners.
Admitting that there are problems, IOC, Dehradun area manager VK Sundriyal said on Friday that due to some technical problems at Haridwar bottling plants, cylinders are not being supplied for Dehradun gas agencies for the past few days. In order to overcome the situation, cooking gas will be supplied for Dehradun gas agencies straight from Karnal bottling plant. He claimed that agencies would start receiving adequate number of trucks laden with cylinders from Saturday onwards.
Meanwhile, shortage of cylinders supplied from the oil company to the agencies is landing the customers in trouble as festive season is round the corner. Customers are thronging their respective agencies to procure cooking gas, but they are returning disappointed with cooking gas not arriving at the agencies.
Dinesh Singh, a customer, who reached Valley gas agency service, said that he had booked his cylinder 15 days ago, but has not yet received it.
All India lPG Federation Uttarakhand circle president and Valley Gas Agency owner Chamanlal said that the non-supply of lPG cylinders from Indian Oil Corporation to the gas agencies is causing inconvenience to the Doon residents for the past four days. Cylinders are not being supplied for Dehradun- based gas agencies from Haridwar IOC plants, he added. Around 10, 000 cylinders are stuck in backlog in various gas agencies based in Dehradun, it is learnt.
He said that the IOC official informed the gas agencies that cylinders will be supplied for Dehradun from Karnal and Kashipur IOC bottling plants and supply of cylinders would improve from Saturday. “However, we are keeping our fingers crossed,” he said.
Chamanlal further said that the non-availability of cylinders is landing them in trouble. “ The customers are holding us responsible for the mess. They are abusing us for it too,” he added. Sources said two trucks laden with cylinders for each agency are expected to reach Dehradun from Karnal bottling plant on Saturday.