Kolkata: In a bid to cut down on delivery delays and ease consumer frustration, oil marketing companies (OMC)s, led by Indian Oil Corporation, have begun redistributing domestic LPG bookings from slower distributors to more efficient ones, without requiring customers to switch their registered dealer, which officially was being called cylinder portability.A senior IOC official told TOI internal assessments revealed wide variations in delivery timelines among distributors. “Some distributors take significantly longer than others. We’ve decided to dynamically reassign bookings so that customers receive cylinders faster,” he said.In Bengal, of 1,500-odd LPG distributors, 60-70 reportedly underperform. These distributors are being bypassed temporarily as bookings are routed to better-performing counterparts. “We are channelling bookings to efficient distributors for faster delivery,” an OMC official said. “Users do not have to do anything — changes are being handled from our end. Our aim is to infuse efficiency into the system.”The move follows a surge in bookings between March 7 and March 11, when demand spiked sharply amid panic ordering. According to industry data, average daily bookings jumped from around 2.5 lakh to 5.9 lakh — more than double in days. The rush caused technical disruptions, with mobile apps of multiple OMCs, briefly crashing under heavy traffic.Distributors said the after effects of that surge were still being felt. “We are struggling to clear the backlog created during those days,” said a distributor, associated with Bharat Petroleum’s Bharat Gas. “With existing manpower, it takes nearly two to three days to clear a day’s backlog. As a result, there is still a gap of six to seven days between booking and delivery.”OMC officials confirmed that while supply has largely normalised, a mismatch persisted. “At present, about 4.5 lakh domestic LPG cylinders are being supplied a day but bookings remain higher,” an official at a leading oil company said. “There is still a daily gap of around 15,000-20,000 cylinders between bookings and deliveries, which is why delays continue in certain areas.”Consumers have welcomed the intervention, though many say delays have tested their patience. “I booked my cylinder over a week ago and had to follow up multiple times,” said a resident, Ananya Sen. “If this new system ensures quicker delivery, it will be a big relief.” Echoing Sen, Rajesh Gupta from Salkia, Howrah, said, “We don’t mind which distributor delivers it. We just need it on time.”Distributors, however, noted while the redistribution mechanism — effectively a temporary portability of cylinders — helped in short term, structural issues remained. “Efficient distributors are now handling additional load, which is not easy,” a dealer said. “But once the backlog is cleared, deliveries should return to schedule.”OMC officials remain optimistic about the situation stabilising soon. “There is no shortage of LPG supply overall,” an official reiterated. “The delays are largely due to operational bottlenecks in some pockets, which we are being addressed.”
