BENGALURU: With many people migrating from other parts to the state for better employment opportunities and for other reasons, the Indian Oil (Karnataka) has seen a higher demand in the sale of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders by 7-10% in the present year.
The Devangonthi Bottling Plant - Indian Oil, located in Hoskote, supplies 203 LPG distributors, comprising six major districts of Bengaluru urban and rural, Kolar, Tumakuru, Chikkaballapur and Ramanagara, adding to 55% of total LPG supplied by IOC in Karnataka.
Last fiscal year, the plant had filled over 216 lakh cylinders, and this year, the number is expected to exceed to 250 lakh cylinders. “The highest demand for gas cylinders we see is for domestic purposes. People have started migrating, and we are seeing an increase in demand. This year, we had a 97% coverage, with 7-10% higher demand for gas cylinders. This apart, even those using induction cookers, have now started opting for gas cylinders,” said N Konar, general manager of the plant.
To meet the growing needs, this year, 48-point cylinder filling carousels were commissioned to the plant, double the size of the conventional 24-point carousels.During 2019-20, IOC released new connections to the tune of Rs 2.38 lakh, of which 1.47 lakh connections are under the Ujjwala Scheme, which is the highest for the industry.
Devangonthi terminal goes smart
The Devanagonthi terminal of the IOC, which supplies 30% of the petroleum demands of Karnataka, is now called a ‘smart terminal’, with automation taking over the fuel filling process to ensure safety and convenience. This ensures quality control, interlocked safety systems, productivity, transparency and customer satisfaction.