As the LPG supply crisis continues to impact commercial enterprises, local consumers are now also feeling the severity of the crisis due to reservation issues, as distributors are inundated with consumer inquiries.
Although oil companies claim that the shortage is limited to commercial cylinders, distributors say many areas are also facing a local cylinder shortage.
LPG distributors said they have been bombarded with consumer queries but have no clear answers to provide.
“Eighty per cent of our LPG supply comes from Qatar, and we don’t have any alternative source. This is the main issue. For the government, domestic supply is more important, and they are not interested in commercial supplies,” Sanal Kumar Ji, general secretary of All India LPG Distributors Federation (Kerala constituency), told PTI.
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He said the main problem now is that local consumers are unable to reserve cylinders because the oil companies’ operating software frequently crashes.
“When we call the numbers to book local cylinders, we either get no response or a message that the number is not there. They say I can book refill only after 25 days of getting the cylinder. In my case, I booked an earlier cylinder almost a month ago, but still I can’t book the refill,” said a local consumer in Jagathi here.
Even 5kg cylinders, which are an emergency option for local consumers, are running out.
As local consumers search for answers, dining out has also become difficult as restaurants and small eateries are closing due to a shortage of commercial cylinders.
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The Kerala Hotels and Restaurants Association (KHRA) has asked restaurants to consider common cooking areas for a group of establishments to reduce the use of LPG.
“This is not a practical option. We have LPG left for a day or two and will have to find an alternative. We have already deleted many items from our menu,” said Alif Vayalil, a restaurateur and executive member of KHRA’s Thiruvananthapuram district committee.
He said many restaurants and eateries have already closed operations or are operating with minimal staff and a limited menu. He added that with limited space in cities, using firewood is not a viable option either.
The crisis is also affecting people who work temporarily in restaurants, with many losing their jobs when establishments close or reduce operations.
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“We have stopped issuing commercial cylinder bills from Monday due to lack of supply,” said Sanal Kumar Ji, owner of KR Gas Agency in Kemanam.
Canteens in many central and state government offices and institutions have already been closed or may be closed in a day or two.
The sources said that distributors wrote to oil companies requesting that special cylinders be allocated to facilities such as prisons and hospitals, but even these allocations face difficulties.
Meanwhile, activists of DYFI, the youth wing of the CPI(M), carried out a protest in front of the main post office in Kannur on Thursday, seeking restoration of LPG supplies.
The activists, who were chanting slogans, sat in the dharna in the office.
The police quickly arrived at the scene, removed the demonstrators, and arrested them.
