JAJPUR: Hundreds of residents on Friday staged a road blockade near Gariapur alleging non-availability of LPG cylinders in Jajpur town.
The irate locals blocked the road by placing empty LPG cylinders as a mark of protest after a local distributor shut its office, displaying a ‘no stock today’ notice. Consumers alleged that the distributor deliberately stopped supplying LPG cylinders to consumers to sell those at higher prices in the black market.
“I booked for a refill LPG cylinder six days back. The distributor had asked me to take it on Friday. But when I reached the LPG distributor office, it was closed and a ‘no stock today’ notice was displayed on the office wall,” said Sanjay Pradhan, an agitator. Due to the blockade, vehicular traffic on Jajpur Town-Binjharpur road was disrupted for over an hour. On being informed, police reached the spot and held discussions with the protestors following which the blockade was withdrawn.
Sources said long queues are being reported outside LPG agencies in several places across the district including Jaraka, Kuakhia, Bari, Chandikhole, Dasarathapur and Balichandrapur. The shortage of refilled LPG cylinders has forced many households to switch to alternative cooking methods such as firewood, kerosene, coal and dried cow dung.