Officials, Distributors Deny Shortage of LPG Cylinders
Claims of a fuel shortage circulating on social media are misleading and baseless.
Hyderabad: As domestic LPG cylinder prices were increased by ₹60 on Saturday, taking the price of a 14. 2 kg cylinder from ₹905 to ₹965, officials and LPG distributors said there was adequate stock in the country and that there was no shortage in supply despite the price hike. The price of a 19 kg commercial cylinder rose by ₹114 from ₹1,996. 50 to ₹2,110. 50. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) issued a message to distributors stating that reports of fuel shortages circulating on social media were misleading.
“Claims of a fuel shortage circulating on social media are misleading and baseless. Adequate fuel supplies are available across the country, and citizens need not worry. However, using fuel wisely is always advisable,” the message said. Telangana LPG Distributors Association president Jagan Mohan Reddy said deliveries were taking place within two to three days of booking and that there was sufficient stock to meet domestic demand.
“Telangana has about 1. 3 crore domestic LPG connections, with 58–60 lakh refills of 14. 2-kg cylinders every month. In the commercial category, there are around 7. 5 lakh cylinders, with nearly the same number of refills recorded monthly,” he said.
Hotel operators said the increase in commercial cylinder prices would affect their operating costs. Mohamed Irfan of Shah Ghouse Hotels said the hike would impact businesses that operate on narrow margins.
“We operate six outlets across the city. The LPG price hike, along with rising costs of plastic disposables due to the war, will impact our business,” he said. Consumers also expressed concern that the increase could add to inflationary pressure. Manduri Sambasiva Rao, a resident of Begumpet, said, “The middle class is the worst affected, with inflation visible across all commodities. The central government collected high taxes on petrol and LPG when crude oil prices were low; it should now take steps to manage the price rise. People are struggling with an increasing cost of living. ”
Civil supplies commissioner M. Stephen Raveendra urged the public not to panic over the price hike and warned that strict action would be taken against hoarding. “At present, there is no shortage, and consumers need not panic or resort to panic buying. Strict action will be taken if any illegal activities, such as hoarding of stocks, are detected,” he said.
