LPG Booking System Restored in Kolkata After IVRS Crash
The online and phone-based LPG booking system in Kolkata has returned to normal operations as of Saturday, following the restoration of the Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) by oil marketing companies. The system had crashed earlier in the week due to an unprecedented surge in consumer calls, causing widespread disruption and forcing thousands of households to queue at distributor offices for manual bookings.
Infrastructure Expansion to Handle Overload
Oil company officials addressed the crisis by significantly expanding the IVRS infrastructure and establishing new call-handling facilities. According to sources within the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the company previously operated only one IVRS centre located in Mumbai. In response to the overload, IOC has introduced four additional centres across the country, including a dedicated facility in Siliguri to manage calls from Bengal and the eastern region.
"Following the problem, we spoke to our operator, revised the operational arrangements, and asked them to set up additional centres to handle the load," an IOC official stated. The new Siliguri centre is expected to dramatically improve booking efficiency, with a capacity to handle up to 100 calls per second, a substantial upgrade from the previous limit of about 10 calls per second from Bengal.
Surge in Bookings During Crisis
The need for this expanded capacity became evident when booking numbers skyrocketed during the disruption. Company sources reported that the average number of LPG bookings in the state surged from approximately 2.8 lakh to nearly 5.9 lakh within a 48-hour period as consumers rushed to secure cylinders amid fears of shortages.
"As IVRS was not functioning properly, there was a chaotic situation for a few days. With the new infrastructure in place, the system should now stabilise," the official added. This restoration has already begun to ease pressure on LPG distributors across Kolkata and its suburbs, with long queues outside offices thinning out as consumers return to booking cylinders from home.
Relief for Households and Distributors
For many residents, the system's return has ended days of anxiety over kitchen fuel supplies. Subhra Roy, a resident of Salt Lake, shared her experience: "With consecutive booking failures, I became very worried. Finally, I managed to book on Wednesday and received the cylinder on Friday. Now I can cook normally again. Every household depends heavily on LPG, so any disruption throws the kitchen out of gear."
Senior citizen Biswarup Mukherjee from Ultadanga described a similar ordeal, stating he attempted booking for five days before succeeding on Friday. Distributors also noted a return to normalcy, with Asim Som, a distributor and vice-president of the Indane LPG Distributors' Association, observing: "The demand-supply situation is gradually swinging back to normal. Yesterday, our office was crowded as more than 100 came for manual booking. Today, the rush is far less as consumers are once again using IVRS to book cylinders from home."
Panic-Booking Exacerbates Crisis
However, some residents believe the situation was worsened by panic-booking behaviors. Jayasree Baidya of Jadavpur commented: "I booked a cylinder about 10 days ago and received it today. But many people are panicking and trying to keep extra cylinders at home." This rush contributed to the overwhelming call volumes that initially crashed the IVRS system.
The restoration marks a critical step in stabilizing LPG services in the region, ensuring households can reliably access cooking fuel without the need for manual interventions.
