Jharkhand LPG Crisis: 4 Lakh Pending Refills, Companies Promise Resolution in 5 Days

Ranchi: Jharkhand is grappling with a backlog of over 4 lakh pending LPG refill deliveries, as the crisis across the state is yet to ease and consumers continue to face persistent supply issues.However, representatives of oil marketing companies addressing the media here on Thursday assured the consumers that the backlog is likely to be cleared in the next five days. Out of the total pendency, Ranchi has around 60,000 backlogs.Addressing the media, divisional retail sales head of Indian Oil Corporation of Ranchi, Pradip Paul, said that on an average, around 80,000 LPG refills are being delivered across the state by the three major oil marketing companies — Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited.“The oil marketing companies, along with the state government and civil supplies departments, are constantly monitoring the LPG situation and trying to clear the backlogs, ensuring household LPG refill deliveries. On an average, around 80,000 refills are being delivered daily, and a backlog of about five days is being cleared as per the scheduled booking list,” Paul said.He reiterated that there is no LPG supply disruption in the state, and approximately 67.5 lakh consumers are being served through 591 retail distributors and five bottling plants in the state.

“Supply of all petroleum products, including petrol, diesel and LPG, is completely normal and under control in Jharkhand. With the situation remaining normal, if consumers face any inconvenience in procuring LPG refills, we appeal to them to raise complaints with the authorities concerned so that the issues can be resolved,” he added.Notably, state food, civil supplies and consumer affairs minister Irfan Ansari, convening a meeting with district supply officers and representatives of petroleum companies on April 9, ordered to clear the backlogs within a week and ordered stringent action against LPG distributors if they are found guilty of negligence in clearing the backlogs.However, despite the repeated assurances from oil marketing companies and the state govt, consumers across the state continued to face difficulties in procuring LPG refills. In many areas across Ranchi, consumers have been seen queuing up for hours throughout the night for LPG refills.