Whats cooking man?

Heavy rush was witnessed in front of the gas agencies on Wednesday as the normal supply of LPG cylinders is yet to be restored in the city.

People are up in arms against the gas agencies under the Indian Oil Corporation for keeeping them waiting for months on end after applying for a cooking gas cylinder.

Ernakulam District Residents’ Association Apex Council (EDRAAC) president P Rangadasa Prabhu said he has not yet got an LPG cylinder even after applying 70 days ago. “I've applied at a gas agency in Vyttila. But we have been getting a reply that there is insufficient stock. Many gas agencies put on ‘no stock’ banners and have closed down the shutters,” he said.

The public alleged that though the LPG crisis is severe, the agencies are providing the cylinders only to their favoured customers.  “The agencies are not following the norms that gas cylinders should be distributed on a first-come first-serve basis. Many people who had applied months ago are yet to get them,” Prabhu said.

Meanwhile a resident in Kakkanad, Jose Paul, said that the Indian Oil Corporation has not kept its word that the crisis would be solved to some extent by arranging gas cylinders from other agencies. “The crisis prevails at IOC agencies only. The LPG cylinder distribution is going smoothly with Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum agencies. Earlier, the IOC officials had agreed to arrange gas cylinders from other agencies but they are not ready to take such steps,” he alleged.

However, the IOC gas agency owner said he is unable to meet the huge demand from the consumers as the supply from the IOC bottling plants at Udayamperoor and Chelari in Malappuram is yet to be normal. “We are receiving 10 to 15 complaints daily. Some of them need gas cylinders while some want to withdraw the gas connection. But changing to other connection will take at least a month under the current situation,” said the gas agency owner.

Meanwhile, after taking a holiday break on October 2, the IOC plant at Udayamperoor distributed nearly 150 truck loads of gas cylinders in the Central Kerala region on Wednesday.