BHOJPUR ADMINISTRATION REMAINS UNABLE TO CURB MISUSE OF DOMESTIC LPG CYLINDERS

BHOJPUR ADMINISTRATION REMAINS UNABLE TO CURB MISUSE OF DOMESTIC LPG CYLINDERS

30-MARCH-ENG 1

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA----------------------------This scene unfolded on Saturday night, between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM, at the Arrah Railway Junction's eastern crossing, where domestic LPG cylinders are being brazenly utilized for welding, grinding, and cutting iron rods during the construction of a pedestrian railway overbridge. These are, in fact, commercial-grade gas cylinders; yet, there is absolutely no one left in Arrah city—neither to supervise nor to intervene—to put a stop to this practice. These observations were shared by Amardeep Kumar Jai—a social activist and former independent candidate for the Arrah and Jagdishpur Assembly constituencies—through an official press statement.

The commercial use of domestic gas cylinders is already prohibited, particularly in industrial zones. Yet, here it is occurring in a crowded urban area, under the open sky, and—most ironically—amidst an acute shortage of domestic LPG cylinders. This situation stands in complete defiance of established systems, as gas agencies have neither reinstated home delivery services nor have the district administration or petroleum companies focused their attention on this critical issue. Consequently, citizens are compelled to queue up daily—starting as early as 4:00 AM—outside gas agency depots with their empty cylinders in hand; a chaotic situation that the district administration has failed to mitigate. Despite the existence of a District Task Committee—formed under the chairmanship of the District Magistrate (DM) specifically to curb this panic—people continue to line up daily with empty cylinders. Even after booking their slots online, they are forced to wait eight to ten days to receive their domestic gas supply—and even then, they must collect it in person from the gas depots. This reflects very poorly—and constitutes a grave failure—on the part of the district administration, for while the common man may not perish from hunger without physical labor, they certainly cannot survive without cooking fuel.

The primary reason cited by gas agencies for the lack of home delivery is that they have enrolled consumers and issued connections to households located many miles away—far beyond their designated service areas. Previously, they would dispatch a vehicle—accompanied by vendors—to these distant areas at intervals of 10, 15, 20, or even 30 days; consequently, the demand for domestic cylinders from these specific areas remained relatively low. Under the cover of this arrangement, the agency operators, their staff, and the vendors would engage in various forms of black marketing using their own illicit methods. At the time, this caused no significant inconvenience to anyone, nor did anyone wish to get entangled in a dispute. However, now that everyone requires gas immediately, the situation has reached a critical juncture. According to gas companies, home delivery is supposed to take place—albeit with a 25-day delay—yet gas agency operators have deliberately disrupted this service in the name of gas consumers, solely to save on their own operational costs, labor expenses, and distribution overheads. Consequently, the government—in conjunction with petroleum companies and the district administration—must issue a directive to all District Magistrates to immediately reinstate the home delivery system and completely put an end to the practice of distributing domestic gas cylinders directly from the gas depots. If any gas agency operator is found violating this order, their agency license must be revoked under any and all circumstances; only then can the shortage of domestic LPG cylinders be resolved, ensuring that all needy beneficiaries receive their domestic gas cylinders in a timely manner—free from panic and black-marketing.