Supply of LPG cylinders is getting inordinately delayed in the old city. There are complaints from several areas about the delivery of cylinders 12 to 15 days after booking a refill. Particularly in areas such as Chandrayangutta, Doodhbowli, Falaknuma and Bahadurpura residents have to put up with a long waiting period.
LPG dealers conveniently ascribe the delay to ‘shortage' but residents suspect a foul play by the delivery boys. The domestic cylinders are said to be finding their way into commercial outlets like hotels and bakeries.
Because of the cost difference several hotels are solely dependent on domestic cylinders. A 14.2 kg domestic cylinder cost Rs.402 while a 19 kg cylinder for commercial use comes for Rs. 1,320. The delivery boys usually divert a couple of domestic cylinders to the hotels everyday stretching the waiting period for residents, it is said.
Doodhbowli corporator, M.A. Gaffar, agrees that there is a long waiting period of 15 to 20 days before the gas cylinder is supplied. “This problem is there in entire old city”, he says.
Many like Shakeel Ahmed of Kishabagh have booked a cylinder 10 days ago and still have not received it. The dealers book the refill 21 days after delivery of a cylinder and then take another 10 to 15 days to supply. Those having a single cylinder are put to severe hardship.
“This problem is continuing for the last few months. Some dealers blame it on the Telangana agitation. We don't know what is happening”, remarked Khaja Mohinuddin of Chandulal Baradari.
There are seven LPG dealers in the old city each with an average of 20,000 connections. “There is no shortage of LPG and the dealers are supposed to supply cylinders within a week of booking”, said Ashok Kumar, president, Twin Cities Gas Dealers' Association.
He did not agree that there is diversion of domestic cylinders to commercial establishments. But the fact remains that small hotels and chicken centres usually make use of domestic cylinders.
Some unscrupulous shopkeepers buy domestic gas cylinders at a higher rate from the delivery boys and use the gas to fill small five kg cylinders, which they sell at exorbitant rates. In the absence of proper monitoring the whole thing goes unnoticed.
