LPG Crisis Erupts in Jamshedpur: Long Queues and Violent Clashes Over Cylinders
In Jamshedpur, commonly known as Steel City, residents are grappling with a severe liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shortage, resulting in chaotic scenes at booking centers and godowns. Locals report that long queues and violent brawls have become a regular occurrence, driven by allegations of black-marketing and ghost deliveries of cylinders.
Panic and Confrontations at Gas Agencies
On Thursday, apprehension about dwindling LPG stocks led to a physical altercation among consumers at a gas agency in Baradwari. Fearing that available cylinders might run out, people shoved each other to secure delivery receipts. Agency owner Pawan Kumar explained, "Our booking centre was closed for about a week due to no domestic cylinder stocks. After reopening, long queues formed, and consumers, worried about exhaustion of stocks, got into confrontations to collect receipts."
In a separate incident the same day in Sonari, a clash broke out between a consumer and distribution agency personnel after accusations of black-marketing LPG refills. This follows a similar unruly scene on April 1 at an agency godown in Adityapur, where consumers accused the distribution agency of black-marketing, causing delays in refill deliveries.
Ghost Deliveries and Escalating Backlog
Earlier, on March 30, consumers created a brawl at a gas booking office, alleging ghost deliveries of domestic cylinders—where cylinders are recorded as delivered but never reach customers. Amid these altercations and protests, the delivery backlog has skyrocketed, crossing 60,000 cylinders. The city witnessed a staggering 18,000 domestic LPG bookings on April 1 alone, which is 7,000 more than the average daily figure.
Officials Address Panic-Driven Bookings
Jamshedpur circle supply officer of Indane, Shakeel Ahmad, commented on the situation, stating, "Trend suggests bookings are being driven by panic. People are apprehensive about the availability of LPG cylinders." In response, East Singhbhum district supplies officer (DSO) Zulfikar Ansari urged residents not to panic and avoid multiple bookings to help stabilize the supply chain.
The ongoing crisis highlights significant issues in LPG distribution in the region, with consumers facing uncertainty and frustration as they struggle to secure essential cooking fuel.
