People wait for cylinders at a LPG depot in Gandaulim on Thursday.
PANAJI
A wave of panic buying and booking of LPG cylinders swept across Goa on Thursday after reports of shortage in commercial LPG supply triggered concerns among consumers, even as the State government assured that domestic LPG stocks remain adequate and the situation is being handled in coordination with the Centre.
The rush was witnessed at several gas agencies across the State, with long queues forming outside distribution centres as worried consumers attempted to secure cylinder bookings.
The panic was further fuelled by the existing Central government rule that allows fresh LPG bookings only after 25 days from the previous refill, which agency operators say led to a surge of simultaneous booking attempts on company portals.
According to gas agency operators, hundreds of consumers tried to place bookings at the same time, resulting in server slowdowns and failed transactions when the mandatory 25-day gap condition was not met.
With online bookings either delayed or rejected, many consumers chose to visit gas agencies in person to check the status of their bookings or seek clarification.
A gas trader from Panaji said there has been an unusual rush since morning. “There is a huge queue outside the agency. We are not accepting bookings where the gap is less than 25 days as per the rule. We have been telling people not to panic because there is stock available,” he said.
Another trader from Curti in Ponda echoed similar views, stating that while agencies currently have sufficient stock, the booking restriction has created confusion among consumers. “For now, we have enough stock. People should not worry. But bookings will not be accepted if the 25-day gap rule is not followed,” he said.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also sought to calm fears, assuring that the State has adequate LPG stock to meet domestic demand. However, he acknowledged that the shortage is primarily affecting the commercial sector.
“For domestic purposes we have sufficient stock and people should not panic. The issue is with commercial LPG supply. We are in touch with the Union Ministry of Petroleum and the situation will be restored,” Sawant said.
The confusion surrounding domestic LPG availability has also prompted many consumers to approach agencies to reactivate old or inactive gas connections. Agency operators said the sudden increase in such requests has added to the load on company servers, further slowing the booking and restoration processes.
Consumers have also reported delays in cylinder delivery despite completing the booking process. Manisha Sardessai, a homemaker, said she has been waiting for her cylinder even after making the payment. “I did the booking and even paid, but the cylinder has not arrived yet. Normally it comes within a day of booking,” she said.
Another consumer, banker Neha Kurtikar, said repeated attempts to book LPG cylinders online have failed. “We have been trying to book gas online but it is not going through. Offline booking is also not accepted if the 25-day condition is not fulfilled,” she said.
The LPG companies in a statement issued have said that supply is being rationed judiciously to increase the coverage. “Priority segment would be domestic households for which the product has to be conserved,” the companies said.
