GUWAHATI, March 5 � Faced with rising concern from consumers, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) now believes that the present shortage of LPG cylinders would be over after two weeks. Sources in the IOC at Guwahati said there is no need for people to go for panic buying, at a time people have complained of not getting LPG cylinders even after a month of booking.
Officials attributing the current shortage to upgrades being carried out at Mirza and North Guwahati bottling plants said that once the process was over there would be more LPG cylinders available in the market. The plant at Mirza would increase its daily production to 8,600 cylinders while the one at North Guwahati will have a capacity to produce 30,000 cylinders per day. However, the North Guwahati plant would need another three months to reach that target.
Meanwhile, in order to tide over the present shortage cylinders are being brought in from Bongaigaon. Today 14 truck loads were brought in for consumers in Guwahati, the official added.
He said that the current scarcity has also been induced by people with multiple cylinders, who have not yet used up their reserves, instead seeking to replenish one or two which have been used.
The IOC�s stance might not, however, be acceptable to the majority of customers who have waited for more than a month to acquire refills. A resident of Bhangagarh, told this reporter that she has given up hope, as no one can give her any assurance when she would get a cylinder. Similar anxiety was expressed by Chandramohan Das, a lawyer, who wanted IOC and distributors to work out a solution so that consumers did not have to suffer unnecessarily.
Some distributors were of the view that the IOC officials were neither sincere nor efficient in carrying out their work, as a result of which the public were facing inconvenience. They pointed out that the IOC had never issued any previous notice that there would be a shortfall in supply of LPG cylinders, and even today are handling the issue on a day to day basis. �There is no long term plan, and there is every likelihood that the present crisis would recur in the absence of such a plan,� said a distributor.
Another distributor pointed fingers at the supply department as it has not intervened in the misuse of LPG cylinders meant for private use in commercial establishments. Such use has resulted in a large number of LPG cylinders being in the possession of restaurants, hostels and other commercial establishments.
