BENGALURU: Despite the government assuring customers that LPG cylinder refills will be delivered within 25 days of booking, several consumers complained of inordinate delays. They said actual deliveries are extending well beyond this limit. Many consumers who booked cylinders over a week ago are still waiting for deliveries, even as the state government maintained that there is no shortage of cylinders for domestic consumers.
Customers told TNIE that the promised 25-day refill cycle is not being adhered to. “First, I am allowed to book only after 25 days. Even then, the system does not permit booking immediately and asks me to try later. Effectively, I am waiting nearly 40 days for a cylinder,” said Samuel (name changed).
Another consumer, Deviprasad (name changed), said he booked a refill on March 14, but is is yet to receive the cylinder. When he tried contacting the distributor, he received a standard message saying, “Dear Customer, your refill is already booked, cylinder shall be delivered shortly. Please avoid repeated calls to prevent congestion of the line and have patience.”
With delays persisting, consumers said they are forced to wait beyond the promised timeline. This has led to consumers queuing up in front of distributor’s offices, which has been reported from Indiranagar and other areas.
Meanwhile, because of the uncertainty around LPG supplies, the sales of induction stoves have gone up drastically, with orders across e-commerce platforms and neighbourhood shops nearly doubling.
LPG distributors urge people to be calm
The All-India LPG Distributors Federation (Karnataka Circle) urged consumers to remain calm amid LPG supply constraints, advising them against panic booking and calling for cooperation with delivery personnel.
At a press briefing on Wednesday, federation representatives said panic bookings have led to delivery delays of up to 10 days in several areas. Consumers have also been visiting agencies and LPG godowns in large numbers fearing shortages. “Customers need not visit distributors. Once a booking is placed, cylinders will be delivered to their homes,” said Kumar LG, secretary of the federation.
Distributors clarified that supply has not stopped but demand has exceeded allocations from oil marketing companies. They cited technical glitches in booking systems, holidays at bottling plants, and staff shortage as factors slowing down deliveries. Members also reported instances of delivery staff facing verbal abuse, affecting workforce availability.
Consumers have been advised to use official apps such as IndianOil ONE, HP PAY, Hello BPCL, or authorised IVRS and WhatsApp services for bookings.