MP News: Gas Shortage Hits Sardarpur, Black Market Prices Soar

Sardarpur (Madhya Pradesh): Residents of Sardarpur are struggling to get cooking gas cylinders for over a month, with the shortage linked to the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran affecting global supply chains.

Gas agencies, which earlier delivered cylinders to homes, have stopped door-to-door service in many areas. People are now visiting agency offices in person, often carrying empty cylinders on motorcycles and scooters, only to return empty-handed. With cylinders hard to find, many families in rural areas have returned to cooking on wood and cow dung cakes.

The shortage has pushed prices on the black market sharply higher. Local claimed that a domestic cylinder, normally priced at Rs 949, is being sold illegally for Rs 1,500 to 2,000.

Commercial cylinders, priced at Rs 1,200, are being sold for up to Rs 2,600, hitting small hotel and restaurant owners hard. Many of them are now using coal furnaces or kerosene stoves to keep their businesses running.

Rural consumers are the worst affected as they are allowed to rebook a cylinder only after 45 days, compared to 25 days for urban residents. Cylinders are currently being delivered around eight days after booking.

Assistant Food Officer Ashish Joshi stated that agencies are not receiving their full stock from the company. He added that panic buying and people with inactive connections turning up are worsening the problem, but the situation is expected to improve soon.