- By Akansha Pandey
- Wed, 19 Nov 2025 03:57 PM (IST)
- Source:Jagran News Network
The crisis of cooking gas cylinders at Hindustan Petroleum (HP) gas agencies is continuously worsening. What began as a shortage a month ago has now escalated into a severe supply crunch, forcing customers to rely on the black market.
Black Marketing And Price Gouging
Due to the acute unavailability of cylinders at agencies, a non-subsidised domestic gas cylinder officially priced at Rs 915—is being sold on the black market for Rs 1,200.
Underweight Cylinders: Consumers report that even at these inflated prices, they are not receiving the full 14.2 kilograms of gas.
Agency Response: Consumers calling HP officials are receiving no response. Agency operators themselves are telling consumers to wait, citing the non-availability of stock.
Production Collapse At GIDA Plant
The supply chain has been severely hit at the Hindustan Petroleum bottling plant in GIDA.
Normal Capacity: Approximately 100 trucks of cylinders are refilled with Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) daily.
Current Status: For the past month, only 20 to 30 trucks are being refilled each day.
Reason for Shortage: Agency operators attribute the crisis to a lack of foresight by officials. LPG for refilling is sourced from Haldia. Operators state that the tender process was not completed on time, resulting in tankers not arriving and cylinders failing to reach customers.
Impact On Gagaha And Wedding Season
According to the Gagaha correspondent, HP cylinders are barely reaching the area, with only two trucks arriving in the last 15 days. Agency operators and hawkers are reportedly taking advantage of the short supply.
Public Distress: Residents, including Ramesh Tiwari, Raju Yadav, Ravi Vishwakarma, Anil Singh, Suraj Gupta, Shivdhyan Singh, Ramdayal Singh, and Umesh Singh, stated they have been running around for a week trying to secure a cylinder.
Wedding Struggles: The shortage is causing significant distress for households with upcoming weddings. Desperate families are arranging Indian Oil or Bharat Petroleum cylinders from relatives and neighbours.
Official Accountability
HP Officials Unresponsive: Despite repeated attempts to seek clarification, HP officials remained unavailable:
Rakesh Bharti (Area Manager): Did not respond to calls on 9991992840 and 8655436621, nor to WhatsApp queries.
Ramendra (Sales Officer): Did not respond to calls on 8800996381, nor to WhatsApp queries.
Administration Promises Action
District Supply Officer Ramendra Pratap Singh said, "We have been informed about the shortage of HP cylinders. On Wednesday, company officials will be summoned for a discussion, and instructions will be issued to ensure the immediate supply of cylinders. Cylinders will be made available to customers under all circumstances."