CHENNAI: The waiting period for getting a domestic LPG refill has increased unofficially, as the gap between getting refills widening to nearly 50 days in a few parts of the city - this includes the compulsory 25-30 days booking gap between deliveries followed by the delivery time of 15-20 days.
The supply of LPG cylinders to domestic consumers has been impacted for the past three weeks due to the Gulf war, and the situation has now escalated, severely affecting thousands of households.
As a result, many consumers who booked their cylinders 15-20 days ago are flocking to agency offices to collect cylinders directly. Home delivery has been disrupted in areas including Padi, Korattur, Kolathur, Ambattur and Madhavaram.
A section of consumers who interacted with TNIE said they have been buying food from hotels because of the delay in receiving cylinders and have fallen ill as a result. “The gap between two cylinders is now nearly 50 to 55 days.
For a family of four, one cylinder lasts a maximum of 30 to 35 days. For the last 15 days, I have been buying food from hotels for my son who underwent a surgery recently, and I have fallen sick,” said K Rajeshwari of Korattur TNHB colony.
However, officials from the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), which is the state level coordinator for the oil industry in the state dismissed the complaints as an exceptional incident and claimed there is no major disruption in domestic LPG supply.
A Sathish Kumar from Padi said he has not received his refill even after 15 days. “I went to the agency office to inquire about the delivery and found more than 40 people waiting with empty cylinders to exchange for new ones. When asked, I was told that those who booked before March 16 (19 days before) had still not received their cylinders and were being given supplies directly from the agency office. There was insufficient stock for home delivery.”
Another consumer, S Visalakashi (55) from Ambattur, a housemaid, said, “When I tried to book, the system only allowed bookings 29 days after the delivery of the previous cylinder. Subsequently, I booked my cylinder on March 15. When I checked with the agency, the booking was only accepted on March 22, and I was told I would receive it only around April 10. If necessary, I was asked to collect the cylinder from the agency office by handing over the empty one.”
However, in some areas like Kilpauk, residents said that they had received delivery of cylinders five days after booking through the Triplicane Urban Co-operative Society (TUCS) distributor.
LPG dealer offices have been crowded throughout the day, as many consumers who have not updated their mobile numbers, addresses, or e-KYC details are facing difficulties in booking cylinders. “If a booking made 15-20 days ago is accepted, we issue a receipt immediately and ask consumers to purchase from the office. Door delivery may take another 15 days,” said a gas agency staff member.
V Vetriselvakkumar, chief GM (corporate communications), IOCL, assured to look into the issue. “We are in a crisis situation. Home delivery of cylinders has not been stopped anywhere. In fact, in a few places, consumers receive their deliveries within a few days,” he said.