Patna, March 12 Long queues of people were seen outside gas agency offices in several districts of Bihar on Thursday, but the administration claimed there was no shortage of cooking fuel.
Two FIRs were registered in connection with LPG cylinder delivery issues in Patna district, while people protested for allegedly failing to get the same in Sheohar district.
Patna District Magistrate Thiyagarajan SM said the entire administrative machinery is proactively ensuring that domestic LPG consumers do not face any inconvenience.
"Any kind of laxity, negligence or irregularity will not be tolerated. Directions have also been issued to immediately register FIRs and arrest the concerned agencies or individuals if complaints of black marketing, hoarding or sale at higher prices are received," he said.
In this direction, an FIR has been registered against a delivery boy at Pataliputra police station based on the complaint of a consumer, according to a statement from the district administration.
The consumer from Digha had complained that the cylinder was not delivered to him after booking, but he received a message conveying "delivered".
Another FIR was filed in Phulwari Sharif police station area against the operator of a gas distributor, who was found absent during an inspection by the SDPO of Patna Sadar.
The office of the distributor was sealed, and a show cause notice seeking timely clarification was issued against the operator, a statement issued by Patna district administration read.
"All distributors and gas companies have an adequate supply of LPG available with them. Booking and delivery are carried out through missed calls, SMS/IVRS, WhatsApp, and OTP-based systems," according to a post by the district administration on X.
The DM said in the statement that he held a review meeting on the issue with the area officers and field officers of gas companies, Additional District Magistrate (Supply), the Special Officer of the division, and all Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs).
He also issued a helpline number, 0612-2219810, on Thursday to ensure seamless distribution and monitoring of LPG cylinder supply, which will be open to public grievances from 9 am to 6 pm daily, officials said.
The DM also directed cancellation of holidays of block supply officers and assistant district supply officers from an administrative point of view till the next order.
The district administration also formed 28 Quick Response Teams (QRTs) for the timely resolution of complaints related to the supply of LPG cylinders.
People also staged a demonstration near Lachka Pul in Bihar's Sheohar district, alleging black marketing of LPG cylinders.
Sheohar DM Pratibha Rani said, "There is no shortage of LPG cylinders. We have sufficient buffer stock, and supply is regular. We have also coordinated with the three major agencies — Indian Oil, HPCL, and BPCL — in this regard."
She told
