Long queues were seen outside the offices of gas agencies across Pune on Wednesday as rumours of an LPG supply shortage triggered panic buying among residents.
Many citizens rushed to book or collect domestic cylinders, fearing a disruption in supply owing to the conflict in West Asia between Iran and USA-Israel.
According to the citizens, domestic LPG cylinders that normally cost around Rs 900 are now being sold illegally for Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500. Many consumers claim that the shortage has been artificially created by stockpiling cylinders and selling them at higher prices.
Atif Shaikh, a resident of Camp, speaking to The Free Press Journal, said, “People have started struggling for domestic LPG cylinders. Earlier, gas agencies were providing doorstep delivery within one day after the date of booking. But after the news of the shortage of fuel, things changed, and we had to wait for many days. One week ago, I booked a gas cylinder, but it has not been delivered yet. Considering the seriousness of the situation, we have been standing in a queue since 9 am today just for booking, and the gas agency has assured delivery after 4 pm. I hope we will get it in time as the crowd is increasing slowly.”
Promod Kale, another resident, highlighted, “We do not have an extra LPG cylinder at home. That's why we booked the cylinder earlier, but have not received it yet. We do not have any substitute options and are forced to use electric accessories like an induction stove and others for survival. The concerned authorities should take appropriate steps to handle the situation.”
Farhan Khan, another resident, highlighted, “Amid the holy period of Ramzan, the scarcity of fuel is a serious issue. Because of the war, the situation is getting worse day by day. We had booked five days earlier and today we have been assured that we will get the LPG cylinder by 4 pm.”
A vendor at a canteen in the Collector's Office said they are cooking only very light food items like tea and a few snacks. “We have refused to cook more than 80 per cent of the food menu due to the shortage of commercial gas cylinders. Now we have given orders in Wadgaon Sheri for chapatis, and accordingly, we are supplying them to customers. If the situation is not controlled or gets worse, there might be a situation where we have to shut down the canteen. That could affect people visiting government offices and the survival of the kitchen staff.”
Meanwhile, Ganesh Shetty, President of the Pune Hoteliers' Association, said hotels and restaurants in the city are left with barely two to three days of LPG stock, and once the reserves run dry, a large number of establishments will be forced to down their shutters, leaving customers with little choice at the table.
"Dosa and uttapam require more gas than most other dishes. If the supply of commercial LPG cylinders is not restored immediately, these items will simply go off the menu. We may be left serving only what we can manage with the limited fuel available," he added.
