RAIPUR: The distribution system of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in Chhattisgarh appears to have been hit by a major technical crisis, leaving thousands of consumers facing difficulties in booking and receiving cooking gas cylinders.
“For the past several days, the server for online cylinder bookings has become unresponsive, paralysing digital services and missed-call booking facilities across the state,” several customers claimed.
With the online system not functioning, the regular home delivery mechanism has also been affected. Consumers who earlier received cylinders within 24 to 48 hours are now forced to wait for more than a week. This has led to chaotic scenes outside gas agencies and warehouses, where long queues of people waiting to book or collect cylinders manually have become a common sight.
While technical teams are working to restore the server, gas agency owners have urged consumers to remain patient, saying the backlog will be cleared once the digital booking system returns to normal.
Amid the disruption in supply, reports of hoarding and black marketing have also surfaced. In response, the Food department and local administration have intensified raids across the state. Authorities have reportedly seized more than 450 LPG cylinders that were being stored illegally or used for commercial purposes without valid permits.
As concerns over the availability of cooking gas grew, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai reassured the public that there was no need to panic.
“The general public does not need to worry about the availability of cooking gas. There is an adequate stock of LPG, petrol, and diesel available in the state”, stated the CM on X (formerly Twitter).
The situation has also affected the kitchen appliance market. As families search for alternative cooking methods, the demand for induction cooktops has increased. Retailers in several districts have raised the prices of induction stoves by 10 to 20 per cent.
During the ongoing Assembly session, legislators from the Indian National Congress raised concerns over what they described as a “severe shortage of cooking gas cylinders” affecting people across the state and demanded a discussion in the house on the steps being taken to ensure smooth LPG supply. However, the speaker rejected the demand, stating that the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the central government.