Mayor Gautam Deb on Friday held an emergency meeting with officials of the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) amid growing concern over the availability of LPG cylinders in Siliguri.
Officials of the enforcement branch and the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) were also present to review the status of LPG supply in the civic area.
After the meeting at the SMC office, Deb said representatives of the two oil companies assured them that there was no need for panic as adequate LPG stock was available with them.
“Officials from both companies have informed us that they have sufficient stock and that refilling operations at their plant in Raninagar (in Jalpaiguri) are running smoothly. Therefore, there is no reason for concern regarding the LPG supply in Siliguri,” Deb said.
He also asked the companies responsible for distributing domestic and commercial gas to take all necessary measures to ensure an uninterrupted supply in the city. At the same time, the enforcement branch has been directed to intensify vigilance to prevent any misuse or illegal selling of LPG cylinders.
In the Siliguri civic area that spans across 47 wards, IOCL supplies both commercial and domestic LPG to nearly three lakh consumers through its 12 distributors, while HPCL provides only domestic cylinders to 40,000 consumers.
In the past few days, rumours and uncertainty about LPG availability led to long queues outside several gas agency offices across the city, as residents rushed to secure cylinders.
In response, the mayor called the meeting to get a clear picture of the current stock and distribution situation. His assurance is expected to bring relief to residents across the municipal area.
“We have also instructed enforcement branch officials to maintain strict surveillance to prevent the misuse of domestic LPG cylinders for commercial purposes. A few such incidents were reported in the Pradhannagar area, and immediate action was taken,” the mayor said.
Helpline
The SMC has also launched helpline numbers for residents to report LPG-related issues or irregularities. While complaints can be registered at 8697004403, another helpline — 7557035194 — is available for residents.
“Both the numbers have been working since Thursday and are available round the clock,” said a source.