The shortage of LPG cylinders in parts of West Bengal showed no signs of easing on Monday. Gas distributors, transporters, and restaurants all reported that their operations were being disrupted due to the continued crunch in supply. Bijan Biswas, vice-president of the Indane LPG Distributors’ Association in Bengal, said the overall situation has not improved significantly. However, he clarified that panic booking – where people rush to book multiple cylinders out of fear of a prolonged shortage – is no longer the main concern. The online booking servers, which had previously been struggling to cope with the surge in demand, are now largely functioning normally.
Several schools, too, have been witnessing disruption in the mid-day meal programme. In Jalpaiguri, a few schools have reportedly started distributing cakes and dry food instead of cooked meals under the programme due to “unavailability of LPG”.
The problem, in other words, is not with the booking system but with the actual availability and supply of cylinders on the ground. “The queues of people are mainly for completing eKYC formalities rather than booking cylinders. Once a bill is generated, delivery is taking about five to seven days,” Biswas said.
He also claimed that the government has reduced the allocation of cylinders by 30 per cent from March, pushing the delivery cycle between two cylinders to a minimum of 25 days.
Biswas said there have been discussions on supplying smaller LPG cylinders of 7 kg or 10 kg to help manage the crisis and ease supply pressure.
“These low-volume cylinders were expected to be rolled out from today, but that plan has not been implemented yet and appears to have been delayed,” he said.
The supply crunch has also had a cascading impact on the transport sector and businesses in Kolkata.
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Auto-rickshaw fares between Salt Lake Sector V and Ultadanga have been hiked from Rs 35 to Rs 40, while on routes such as Phoolbagan to Girish Park, it has gone up by Rs 3 to Rs 23, according to drivers.
Piyush Kankaria, head of the Kolkata chapter of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), said many eateries are struggling to sustain operations in the present situation.
“Several establishments, including some cloud kitchens, have temporarily shut operations. Many brands are trimming menus, restructuring operations and considering price hikes,” Kankaria said.
“Some operators have shifted partially to wood, coal or any other available source of fuel. Everyone is trying to find ways to source fuel and stay operational,” he said.
Kankaria said the industry has not yet seen any improvement in supply despite a government notification on March 21 indicating that allocation would be increased by around 20 per cent for the food and beverages sector.
“We are yet to see any visible improvement. The supply remains negligible for many establishments,” he claimed.
Roadside eateries are also feeling the heat of the LPG shortage, with shopkeepers claiming they are forced to buy commercial cylinders in the black market at more than double the official price.
Ajay Shaw, who runs a small snacks shop, said commercial LPG cylinders are being sold at Rs 4,200-4,500 per unit.
