Bengaluru: Amidst uncertainty over the supply of cooking gas, private LPG distributors in the city report that daily bookings have more than doubled over the last week.
They insist there has been no disruption in the supply of LPG cylinders from the plant; however, agencies are unable to meet the surge in demand due to a limited number of staff and vehicles.
"I used to generally receive 450 to 460 bookings daily. Now, that number has crossed 800. It appears that people are panic-booking, but there is no shortage as far as domestic gas cylinders are concerned," said a representative from a private gas distribution agency in RR Nagar.
LPG shortage | From Rs 60 hike to booking period extension: All you need to know about your cylinder supply amid West Asia crisisAnother agency operator in K R Puram added that while bookings have increased, they are unable to keep up with deliveries.
"In a day, I can supply a maximum of 500 cylinders. However, pending orders have already crossed 600, and on top of that, the daily booking rate has doubled," he said. "When I checked with the plant, they assured us that the supply will not be disrupted."
To curb panic-booking and the hoarding of cylinders, the Union government has introduced a new rule increasing the mandatory waiting period between domestic LPG cylinder bookings from 21 days to 25 days. This rule applies specifically to 14.2 kg domestic cylinders.
Major Indian state-run companies, such as Bharat Gas and HPCL, have sent messages to customers stating that there is no shortage of gas.
Large suppliers like BPCL and HP have also issued clarifications: "Claims of a shortage in fuel supply circulating on social media are misleading and baseless. There is adequate availability of fuel in the country. Citizens are assured that there is no need for concern. Using fuel wisely always helps."
Despite these assurances, some residents have complained that their booking requests were rejected. Agencies claimed these customers had already received a cylinder within the last 25 days, a claim the residents dispute.
Several customers who have booked refills intend to switch to induction cooktops if their orders fail to arrive on time.