LPG shortage in Patna, other Bihar districts; menus cut

Patna, March 13:  A disruption in LPG cylinder supply has triggered panic among consumers across Patna and several other districts of Bihar, affecting households and the hospitality sector.

The situation, which residents link to the war in Iran, has led to shortages and long queues outside gas stations in many parts of the state.

The hospitality industry has been among the worst hit, with reports suggesting that the supply of commercial LPG cylinders has almost come to a halt in several areas. Patna alone requires around 4,000-5,000 commercial cylinders daily, but restaurant owners say no fresh supply has reached them in recent days.

As a result, many eateries have either shut down temporarily or drastically reduced their operations.

Rohit Kumar, a restaurant owner in Patliputra Colony, said his establishment earlier served a variety of chicken, mutton, and biryani dishes. However, due to the shortage of commercial cylinders, he has been forced to stop preparing more than a dozen items, restricting his menu largely to biryani in order to conserve gas.

“We have removed dishes that require long flame, like slow-simmered gravies, samosas, etc. The fall in menu options has reduced customer turnout, and our earnings have dropped sharply,” he said.

A similar situation has been reported from confectionery shops and small eateries. The owner of Sai Sweets in Danapur said he has stopped preparing snacks such as samosas, kachoris, chowmein, and chaat because of the gas shortage.

“At present, we are surviving only on sweet sales. If the supply does not normalise in the next two to three days, we may have to shut the shop,” he said.

Amid growing complaints, a domestic LPG consumer from the Digha area lodged a complaint against a delivery boy of M/s Utsav Gas Seva in Indrapuri, alleging that despite booking a cylinder, the delivery never took place, even though records showed it had already been delivered.

Following the complaint, Patliputra Police Station registered an FIR against delivery boy Mukesh on Thursday. Officials said this is reportedly the first such FIR in the area related to alleged irregularities in LPG supply.

Patna District Magistrate Tyagarajan S. M. said the administration is closely monitoring the situation and has intensified enforcement measures to curb black marketing and hoarding.

“As many as 28 enforcement squads have been formed at the block level to conduct inspections and address consumer complaints. LPG consumers will not be allowed to face inconvenience. Regular inspections and raids are being carried out at gas agencies and distributor outlets,” the DM said.

Residents across Patna district said they are facing serious difficulties in obtaining cylinders.

Neeraj Kumar, a local resident, said repeated calls to distributors often go unanswered or consumers are told that the booking server is down. Another resident, Rajiv Kumar Pandey, said he returned empty-handed from the Vaishali Gas Agency in Saguna Mor after being asked to wait for a fresh supply.

Sarvoday Nath, a resident of RK Puram in Danapur, claimed that gas agencies in the area have not received fresh stock for the past four days.

However, officials of Indian Oil Corporation have denied any shortage of LPG cylinders, saying the situation is being fuelled largely by panic buying and rumours.

The confusion has spread beyond Patna to districts such as Buxar, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Sheohar, and Bhojpur, where similar scenes of long queues and anxious consumers have been reported.

In Buxar, residents were seen standing in long lines outside gas agencies for hours, with many returning without cylinders.

The situation has also raised concern at Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), where the kitchen run under the Jeevika initiative prepares meals for 1,600-1,700 admitted patients and staff.

In Muzaffarpur, more than two dozen residents reached the District Collectorate carrying empty cylinders and demanded a meeting with the District Magistrate over the shortage.

In Sheohar, tensions escalated when a man reportedly threatened suicide after standing in a long queue without receiving a cylinder. Around 400 people were said to be waiting in line at a single agency.

Authorities maintain that there is no actual shortage of LPG, but panic buying, rumours, and local supply disruptions have created a crisis-like situation in several districts.

The state administration has urged citizens not to panic or hoard cylinders, while continuing enforcement action against black marketing and irregularities in distribution.

--IANS