The dearth of LPG cylinders across India has triggered people's daily lives across several sectors. The crisis had affected restaurants, hostels, companies, domestic kitchens, and roadside vendors, creating a domino effect. However, the centre has urged citizens not to panic. C Senthil Rajan, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, said oil companies are delivering around 50 lakh LPG cylinders every day even during the crisis and that supplies remain intact. Police in several states have also stepped up vigilance against rumours, hoarding, and illegal trade in cylinders. Even as the government issued an advisory to not panic, the situation in the states tells a different story altogether.
Delhi: As Delhiites struggle to solve the shortage of LPG cylinders, cyberfraudsters have become frequent in the city. The police have warned citizens against clicking on suspicious links or trusting calls from unknown numbers claiming to be from gas agencies, warning that cyber fraudsters may exploit the ongoing panic over LPG availability to dupe people and steal their hard-earned money.
Maharashtra: The Food Distribution Department on Saturday cracked down on a gang involved in the black marketing of domestic and commercial gas cylinders in Mumbai’s Worli area and seized a large stock.
Telangana: Customers have complained that the online services of Indane Gas are not functioning, leading to the congregation of people at the gas station.
Ahmed from Musheerabad, explaining his hardships, told ANI, "I haven't received my gas cylinder in ten days. I booked it ten days ago, but it hasn't arrived yet. I've been coming here for three days now. They keep asking for a DSC number. Where am I supposed to get that from? I've been calling every day, but nothing is happening. I'm not getting the OTP for the DSC number. What am I supposed to do? I have small children at home. Our gas finished last night, and even our small backup cylinder is empty. I had to buy food from outside today."
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Uttar Pradesh: Amid the LPG crisis, Uttar Pradesh's Food and Civil Supplies Department conducted raids at 1,483 locations here and arrested six people in an operation to check black marketing of cooking gas cylinders, according to an official statement.
As part of the operation, 24 FIRs were registered, said the statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh government late on Friday night.
Gujarat: The Gujarat government has decided to provide new piped natural gas (PNG) connections to educational institutes, hotels, restaurants, and socio-religious institutions in areas where a city pipeline distribution network is available if they apply for the facility, PTI reported.
Madhya Pradesh: Amid an LPG supply shortage, hotels and restaurants in Madhya Pradesh are turning to the traditional ‘tandoor’ and electric appliances to sustain their businesses, PTI reported.
In its advisory, the Madhya Pradesh Hotel Association (MPHA) asked members to stop gas for traditional wood-fired tandoors and switch to ‘crisis menus’ to keep their businesses afloat. It has also asked eateries to prioritise dishes that require lower gas usage or shorter cooking cycles.
Punjab: Teams of the District Food and Civil Supplies (DFCS) Department conducted raids at 42 locations across the district, seizing over 100 illegally stored domestic cylinders by evening. The authorities also inspected gas agency godowns and checked the weight of cylinders being delivered following complaints of discrepancies.
Chhattisgarh: Authorities in Chhattisgarh seized 741 LPG cylinders on Saturday from 102 locations across the state as part of a major crackdown on hoarding and black marketing of cooking gas amid concerns triggered by the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict. According to officials, the Food Department, along with district administration authorities, has been conducting surprise inspections at suspected storage locations to prevent illegal hoarding of domestic LPG cylinders.
West Bengal: The situation in Bengal is also dire. Residents waited with empty cylinders outside LPG distribution centers, claiming they were unable to make bookings online. Consequently, the West Bengal government issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to ensure coordinated monitoring of LPG supply and distribution. It also announced the setting up of a round-the-clock control room at state secretariat "Nabanna" to address supply-related issues.