The Hindu : LPG supply crisis grips parts of Chennai

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 20, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

LPG supply crisis grips parts of Chennai

By N.Ravi Kumar

CHENNAI FEB.19. A cooking gas crisis seems to have gripped parts of the city with thousands of households complaining of delay in getting refill supplies, even as oil companies claim that they are dumping enough loads with their distributors to clear the backlog.

More than the time taken, what is agitating the consumers is the way in which distributors respond to their requests and the ease with which commercial establishments in different parts of the city have access to the highly subsidised product.

While the present backlog on an average refill supplies are made ten days from the date of booking is attributed to the bulk LPG transporters strike that was called off a month ago, the diversion is apparently due to the spiralling prices of the commercial cylinder. While the 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinder costs about Rs.250 each, a 19-kg cylinder costs around Rs.710, making diversion lucrative.

Whether it is K.K. Nagar or Korukkupet, the complaints about the distributors are alike.

The most common is the refusal of many cooking gas agencies to supply refills on bookings made weeks ago, and even denying bookings were made after issuing confirmation numbers. By contrast, commercial establishments, especially roadside eateries, seem relieved of such hassles at least going by the way they flout the domestic cylinders.

A senior citizen who checked up the status of his waiting list days after he booked a refill, with his distributor, got only a curt reply, "you have not booked yet". When he tried to explain his position, the counter staff at the agency refused to listen.

Little, however, seems to have worked even after complaints, according to M. Ramesh of Korukkupet. According to him, "no action has been taken" on his complaint about his distributor supplying out of turn to those who pay a bribe of Rs.10 for each cylinder. The plight of households having only one cylinder is worse.

When contacted a senior official at IOC, the market leader in cooking gas supplies to the city, said, "the time taken for supplying refills is coming down drastically. Last week alone, we received 4,000 tonnes of additional LPG supplies for our bottling operations. As against the requirement of 140 loads, we are supplying 180 loads. This has brought down the backlog to a week".

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