Bhagalpur: With LPG consumers in the district flagging delays in cylinder refills, District magistrate (DM) Nawal Kishor Choudhary on Monday sought a detailed status report from officials of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) on the availability of LPG and other petroleum products.The DM said the district administration has activated a 24×7 district control room to address LPG-related consumer complaints and instructed officials to ensure prompt redressal of grievances. A nine-member team, divided into three groups, has been deployed at the district control room to register and monitor complaints round-the-clock, he added. Choudhary said oil marketing companies and LPG distributors have been directed to reduce supply backlogs and probe cases involving unusually long waiting periods for refills.Providing details of the distribution network, the DM said Bhagalpur district has 58 LPG agencies — 33 of IOCL, 16 of HPCL and nine of BPCL — and domestic LPG consumers are being supplied gas strictly as per their bookings.“There is no shortage of LPG in the district and there is no need for panic,” the DM asserted, quoting oil company officials as saying that over 12,500 LPG cylinders are being delivered to consumers daily. He also said he was carrying out surprise inspections to check distributors’ booking and delivery status.To curb illegal practices, the DM said special vigilance teams have been constituted at block and sub-divisional levels to take action against hoarding and black marketing. He warned that strict legal action would be initiated against touts and those involved in black-market sale of LPG cylinders.
