‘No shortage of domestic LPG’

Palnadu district Collector Kritika Shukla clarified that there are sufficient stocks of LPG cylinders in the district to meet the needs of domestic consumers and that there is no shortage. In a statement on Friday, she warned that strict legal action will be taken against anyone found illegally hoarding LPG cylinders or selling them at higher prices by taking advantage of the current market situation. She said officials are closely monitoring the supply system to prevent any illegal activities in gas distribution. She said the district administration and oil companies are working in coordination to ensure that every consumer receives the required gas cylinder. LPG gas supply for domestic use in the district is continuing without any shortage. The oil marketing companies operating in the district are taking all necessary steps to ensure uninterrupted supply of gas cylinders to consumers. Distribution of cylinders through dealers and the delivery system is also continuing without any disruption.

The Collector clarified that recent messages circulating on social media claiming that LPG supply has stopped or that there is a shortage are completely false. She appealed to the public not to believe such rumours or panic unnecessarily.

Due to the impact of such rumours, some consumers are making large numbers of refill bookings in advance, this may temporarily cause minor delays in booking and delivery in a few places, she said. However, this is not due to a shortage of gas but only because of a sudden increase in bookings.

SUFFICIENT FOR 3 MONTHS

Guntur: Similarly, Guntur district Joint Collector Ashutosh Srivastava clarified that there is no shortage of LPG cylinders meant for domestic use in the district.

He held a meeting with gas agencies, distributors, hotel representatives, and hospital management at the Collectorate in Guntur city on Friday and reviewed LPG supply situation in the backdrop of social media reports about possible gas shortages due to the ongoing conflicts in West Asian countries. The Joint Collector stated that there is sufficient LPG stock to meet domestic requirements for the next three months through all gas agencies in the district.

Later, addressing the media, he said 55 gas agencies are operating in Guntur district, with around 8 lakh domestic LPG connections and about 10,000 commercial cylinder connections. He reiterated that there is no shortage of domestic LPG cylinders and consumers need not panic. He noted that due to rumours, some consumers are booking cylinders unnecessarily out of fear of supply delays, which is increasing pressure on gas agencies and creating a temporary imbalance between demand and supply. As there are some technical issues with IVRS booking system, consumers were advised to use alternative booking methods. The minimum booking interval has been fixed at 25 days for urban areas and 45 days for rural areas. He also stressed that domestic LPG cylinders should not be misused for commercial purposes and that distribution is being carried out through OTP-based verification. The supply of commercial cylinders will continue uninterrupted for essential sectors such as hospitals,hotels, transport, fertilizers, industries, government welfare hostels, and other institutions. The JC said consumers facing any issues can contact the district control room numbers - District Supply Office: 83091 60972, 63095 20569; Guntur Division: 81254 57352; and Tenali Division: 86391 34799.

These helplines will be available from 10 am to 5 pm. Gas agencies were instructed to widely publicise these control room numbers.