About 100 LPG gas customers on Tuesday thronged the Pooja Gas outlet, an agency of Indane cylinders, at Unichira to protest against the indefinite delay in the supply of gas cylinders.
Following the commotion which began at about 9 in the morning, the outlet was closed down and the representative from the outlet as well as a few customers approached the local police station.
“I booked a gas cylinder in June and till now I have not got one. Day after day we ring up the agency, but they hardly pick up the phone. Otherwise, they give excuses about the cylinder not having arrived. This is even while the online tracking system of the cylinder shows that our cylinder has arrived long back, clearly proving that black marketeering is rampant here. Each day there is a different excuse. They ask us to come to the outlet and enquire, or they say that we need to fill additional forms to obtain the gas cylinder. But if we take off from work and go to the agency to obtain the forms they say the forms are over!” says Laiju O G, one of the customers.
Women, including mothers carrying children, too came out in protest. The customers thronged the site till 2 pm, when one of the staff members said that the cylinders would be supplied by Wednesday.
The Thrikkakara police who carried out the negotiations said the reason for the shutting down of the IOC plant.
“The discussions have been completed between the representatives of the outlets and the customers. It has now been decided that the customers would be divided into two categories - those who have not received gas even after 40 days’ of booking and the rest. The priority will be given to the former,” said an official from the Thrikkakara Police.