Jammu: The Jammu administration on Monday conducted inspections at LPG outlets amid panic buying and complaints of delivery failures of gas cylinders and took action against some dealers who were allegedly found violating norms.
Long queues were reported at several LPG outlets in Jammu over the past few days in the wake of the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Officials, however, insisted there was no shortage of fuel and urged people not to fall prey to rumours, while directing dealers to ensure home delivery as per routine practice.
“It is a home-delivery system. Delays are the main issue, not availability. In some cases, delivery is shown in the system and messages are sent to consumers even though cylinders have not actually been delivered. Action is being taken against such agencies,” Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Ansuya Jamwal said.
The official said some households were attempting to procure multiple cooking gas cylinders, fearing a future supply shortage.
Jamwal also appealed to the public to report cases of overcharging or malpractice, adding that helpline numbers issued by the food and supplies department have been widely publicised.
Teams led by Jamwal inspected several LPG dealers, checking stock registers, booking records and delivery systems. The teams also interacted with customers who had gathered at outlets to collect cylinders directly, bypassing the home delivery mechanism.
“The customers should not visit outlets as cylinders will be delivered to their homes as per established practice. Dealers have been categorically directed to follow the home delivery system in letter and spirit. People should book cylinders through online modes,” Jamwal told reporters.
She said that action had been initiated against some dealers found violating norms, while most were operating as per rules.
Jamwal said that the inspections were carried out due to complaints to assess ground realities after numerous complaints of delayed deliveries and mismanagement.
“We received complaints that delivery dates were being repeatedly extended and cylinders were not reaching consumers. Therefore, we conducted field inspections along with officials from the Legal Metrology Department to verify the situation,” she said.
At one agency, officials found over 2,200 pending deliveries. “In contrast, two other agencies inspected earlier were functioning properly with no pendency,” she added.
According to Jamwal, records showed that 342 consumers received cylinders on Monday and some balance deliveries from previous days were pending. She stressed that deliveries must be made in the order of bookings.
She warned consumers against panic buying and hoarding, noting that some households were attempting to procure multiple cylinders, fearing future shortages.
“As per government guidelines, in urban areas a new booking cannot be made within 25 days of the last delivery, and in rural areas the gap is 45 days,” she said, urging people not to visit agencies physically unless necessary.
Earlier, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chaired a meeting with deputy commissioners and officials of the food and civil supplies department to review LPG and fuel stocks across Jammu and Kashmir, especially in view of the upcoming Eid and Navratri festivals.
Officials said that adequate stocks were available and strict action would be taken against hoarding and black marketing.
Police in Jammu also seized around 50 LPG cylinders allegedly stored illegally for black marketing and arrested those involved on Sunday, officials said.
An LPG dealer, however, maintained that there was no shortage of supply and attributed the situation to rumours and panic buying.
Authorities urged people to remain calm and assured an uninterrupted supply of essential commodities.
