The Hindu : New Delhi News : Cooking gas shortage haunts the country

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 14, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

New Delhi

New Delhi

Cooking gas shortage haunts the country

Sujay Mehdudia

Getting new LPG cylinder connections and refills an arduous task

NEW DELHI: Despite the recent increase in prices of petrol, diesel and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), lakhs of consumers across the country continue to face “severe supply” crunch of petroleum products, including LPG cylinders, leading to “artificial shortage” and hoarding in small cities and rural India.

According to informed sources, the Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry has been updated on the situation and the long wait for new connections and refills.

It is not only the northern belt of the country that is facing the “LPG supply crunch” but also States such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

“Despite the Rs.50 increase per cylinder, the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) are still not going easy on the supply of LPG and new connections. The unofficial ban on issuing new connections in small cities and rural India continues and in big cities and metros the procedures for getting new connections have been made stringent,” sources said.

“New connections are being issued in Delhi. But the same cannot be said about other parts of the country. There is certainly a shortage of cylinders and new norms have been introduced to get new connections. A ban has been imposed on issuing DBC connections,” All-India LPG Distributors Federation senior vice-president Chander Prakash Yadav said.

The situation is no different with regard to supply of petrol and diesel.

Despite a Rs.3 hike per litre of diesel and Rs.5 for petrol, the supply position continues to be precarious. The OMCs continue to curtail the supply of ordinary petrol to petrol pumps across the country. Thrust is given on selling only branded fuels that are costlier by Rs. 4 and Rs.2.50 a litre than ordinary fuel.

“OMCs are still enforcing quota system to sell 50 per cent ordinary petrol and diesel and 50 per cent branded fuel. The petrol pump dealers are being made a scapegoat as they have to face the wrath of customers,” said Federation of All India Petroleum traders general secretary Ajay Bansal.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi