Supply shortage and vendors' strike have triggered inordinate delay in LPG cylinder delivery in several pockets of Buddha Colony, Boring Road and other localities.
On Thursday, The Telegraph found residents standing in queue for more than an hour under the sun to collect LPG cylinders being distributed by the Dewanti Gas Agency located in west Boring Canal Road.
Private firm employee Rajesh Kumar (32), a resident of Buddha Colony, was livid, as he had not received his refill even after a month of booking. He had brought the empty cylinder from his home to get the filled one.
"On April 15, I booked my refill. It's been almost a month and I have not received the cylinder. This morning, when I came to the gas agency to ask the reason for the delay, the agency employees told me gas would be distributed on the road outside the office and I must bring my empty cylinder to get the new one. I rushed back and brought the cylinder but this is a torture. I had to stand in the queue for one-and-a-half hours to get the cylinder. Why can't the agency send the gas to our homes? I had to take an off from office as well," said Rajesh.
Sources said the cylinder is delivered within a week from the booking date. Dewanti Gas Agency distributes cylinder to 10,000 consumers in West Patna localities. A few days back, the vendor of Akhand Jyoti Cooking Gas Agency had also gone on strike in support of their demand to increase their wages.
A resident of Mainapur locality, Prem Kumar, said: "It's been 15 days since I booked my cylinder but it was not delivered. When I called up the agency and asked the reason for it, they said cylinders would be distributed from 10am. Just look at the way it is being distributed. It's like the agency is doing us a favour."
On Thursday, around 150 consumers were provided cylinder but many who came late had to return empty-handed. It was on a first-come first-served basis.
Many housewives, too, were in the queue. Nimaya Khatun, a resident of Dujra, said: "My husband has gone to office and I had to come here with the cylinder. For the past three days, we were cooking food on stove. However, I did not get the cylinder."
For the past 15 days, vendors of Dewanti Gas Agency are on strike demanding hike in wages from Rs 15 per cylinder to Rs 30 per cylinder.
On not taking any steps to solve the problem, Vijay Kumar, the manager of the agency, said: "The vendors are on strike demanding increase in wage. The supply was not proper for past week which led to shortage of cylinders. However, we will find some solution in two to three days."
On the other hand, officials of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) said there was no problem regarding supply of cylinders in Patna. IOCL chief area manager Arun Prasad said: "Patna needs 18,000 cylinders everyday and we providing more than the demand. So far as this case is concerned, I will look into the matter."
On consumers facing problems, food and consumer protection minister Shyam Rajak said: "There is a backlog of cylinder in the state and I am going to write a letter to the Centre to meet the demand."
