People who want to book a gas cylinder now have to follow a limited booking schedule. According to notices placed at gas agencies, bookings can only be made through phone calls between 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. to 12 midnight.
This means bookings remain closed for about 13 hours during the day, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Another rule is that consumers can book a new cylinder only if 25 days have passed since they received their previous cylinder. These notices have been displayed by gas agencies due to the ongoing gas-related problems.
Booking Problems and Server Issues
Gas companies such as Indian Oil Corporation (Indane), Bharat Petroleum (Bharat Gas), and Hindustan Petroleum (HP Gas) normally allow consumers to book cylinders through registered phone calls.
However, after the Holi festival, the booking period was changed, and at the same time the server has been down for the last three days due to heavy demand and gas shortage concerns.
Because bookings are not going through, many consumers are moving from gas agencies to warehouses with empty cylinders but are still unable to get gas.
On Wednesday, thousands of consumers were seen visiting agencies and warehouses in search of cylinders. With the new fixed booking times, the situation may become even more difficult for consumers.
Over 50,000 Households Facing Gas Shortage
More than 50,000 LPG consumers in the city are currently facing difficulties. Without gas at home, people are struggling to prepare tea, breakfast, and meals.
In the district, there are more than 13 lakh LPG consumers. Out of these, the booking of about one lakh consumers is currently stuck, while another one lakh consumers have not completed their KYC, which is also creating problems for them.
Officials Say There Is No LPG Shortage
According to Vineet Kumar, District Nodal Officer of Indian Oil Corporation, there is no shortage of LPG in the district, and warehouses are full of cylinders.
He said many people are making unnecessary bookings, which is putting pressure on the server and affecting the cylinder supply system. Consumers have been advised to avoid unnecessary bookings to prevent further technical issues.
Server Problems Affecting Booking System
Vipul Purohit, president of the All India LPG Distributors Federation, explained that the booking numbers and computer systems are not working properly because of a server problem.
He said that once a booking is successfully made, cylinders are normally delivered within 24 hours. After booking, consumers receive a DAC number, and without this number, gas cylinders cannot be delivered.
Crowds at Gas Agencies
Santosh Sikarwar, president of the LPG Distributors Association, said that the booking number of gas agencies is not working due to server issues. Because of this, many people are visiting gas agencies directly, leading to crowds at the offices.
He also clarified that there is no shortage of cylinders, but the booking problems are creating confusion and increasing the difficulties for consumers.
Customer Service Numbers for Complaints
Consumers who are unable to get gas can contact customer service:
Indane and HP Gas: 18002333555
Bharat Gas: 1800224344
