Rural Gas Booking Rule Sparks Consumer Outrage In Bakaner

Bakaner (Dhar) (Madhya Pradesh): Rural consumers, including beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, have expressed frustration over gas cylinder booking policies that they say favour urban areas.

While urban consumers can book refills every 25 days, rural gas agencies enforce a 45-day waiting period. Residents have urged authorities to end the disparity.

Locals said a single LPG cylinder usually lasts less than a month. The 45-day restriction forces many families to either buy costlier cylinders from the open market or return to traditional wood-burning stoves.

Residents argued that the policy undermines the objective of the Ujjwala Yojana, which aims to protect rural women from health hazards caused by cooking smoke.

They said the longer waiting period has pushed many households back to smoke-emitting stoves because they cannot obtain refills when needed.

Villagers have demanded a uniform policy allowing refill bookings every 25 days in both rural and urban areas. They maintained that household fuel requirements remain the same regardless of location.

"The 45-day rule forces us back to traditional stoves," said Arun Vaishnav, a rural consumer.

Residents have urged gas companies and the district administration to intervene and ensure equal booking rules for all consumers.