Patna: The Bihar govt on Thursday asserted that there is no shortage of LPG, piped gas, petrol or diesel anywhere in the state. However, the ground reality appeared different as people were seen waiting in long queues outside gas agencies across the state to refill their LPG cylinders, while hostel operators in Patna complained of serious difficulties in obtaining cylinders and were forced to explore alternatives to keep their kitchens running. Many Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) customers also complained that they were unable to book LPG cylinders as all the booking platforms had crashed.The Bihar govt’s assurance came after a high-level review meeting held under the chairmanship of development commissioner Mihir Kumar Singh. The meeting was attended by representatives of major oil and gas companies.Officials said domestic LPG supply remains normal across the state, while petrol and diesel supplies are continuing without interruption. Hospitals and educational institutions will remain fully exempt from precautionary restrictions placed on commercial gas supply.During the review, oil and gas company representatives informed the govt that there was no disruption in gas supply in any part of Bihar and that adequate stock was available. Officials said nearly 98% of the state’s total gas supply consists of domestic LPG cylinders, while less than 2% is meant for commercial use. As a precautionary measure in the current situation, commercial gas supply has been limited. However, hospitals and educational institutions will continue to receive 100% gas supply.Indian Oil Corporation Limited informed the meeting that some consumers had been facing difficulty receiving OTPs for gas delivery due to heavy server load. To address the issue, the company decided to remove the OTP requirement for cylinder delivery.All DMs and SPs have been asked to take immediate and strict action wherever cases of gas hoarding or black-marketing are reported. Gas distributors will also be shifted from one area to another every four to five days to ensure smooth distribution.Despite the official assurance, hostel operators in Patna said delivery delays and restricted commercial supplies were affecting daily operations. With a 25-day gap now required between bookings or deliveries for non-priority users, many establishments serving large numbers of residents said their kitchens were under pressure.Charanjeet Chawla, who runs a G+4 hostel housing about 150 girl students at Naya Tola, said her kitchen normally required 12-13 cylinders each month. “Now we got a coal stove made, which we will start tonight,” she said on Thursday.Shivam Sharma, who operates four hostels on Boring Road (Anandpuri) and Boring Canal Road housing about 300 boarders, said they had already reduced meals. “For now, we told them that instead of three times, they will get meals only two times. Beyond that, we will see as the situation develops,” he said.He said they managed to obtain one cylinder on Thursday, which would last two days. “There are absolutely no cylinders in stock. If the crisis worsens, the fallback is clear. We have no other choice but to switch to coal,” he said.Dr Coomar Arunodaya, vice-chairman of Krishna Niketan and Patna Central School, said both institutions together had about 10 days’ LPG stock for nearly 400 hostel students. “Traditional cooking methods like coal or wood arrangements will have to be made. In an induction stove, mass-level cooking is not possible,” he said.Students living in lodges and hotels also reported difficulty in obtaining cylinders. One student said he visited five gas agencies but could not get LPG even at higher prices. “I am ready to pay Rs 300 per kg for gas but still there is no seller in the market. We are facing a problem,” he said, adding that he had been buying food from hotels since Wednesday afternoon.
