Chandigarh, May 8: Thousands of Indane gas consumers in Punjab are facing significant delays in receiving cooking gas refills as the state grapples with a backlog of nearly 1.19 lakh pending orders. The supply crisis, which has seen delivery times stretch up to 30 days, has prompted protests and heated arguments between residents and local distributors.
Distributors across the state affirmed that they are facing intense pressure because the supply from bottling plants has become irregular. Conversely, the company’s divisional leadership declared that the primary cause of the backlog is a massive spike in “panic bookings” fueled by international news. They noted that consumers who do not require immediate refills are placing orders as early as the 25th day of their cycle.
“The backlog has reached 1,18,825 bookings across six sales regions,” the department stated in a recent report. Patiala and Chandigarh have emerged as the areas with the highest number of pending requests. The board maintained that despite the current strain, the daily delivery rate remains high and the system is being fortified to handle the additional load.
In an effort to ensure transparency and stop the diversion of domestic cylinders to the commercial sector, the company has enforced a strict DAC system. Anil Mehar, the regional sales head, affirmed that this system ensures subsidized gas reaches the intended recipient by requiring a code for every delivery. He stated that this measure has significantly reduced the misuse of cylinders.
Mehar also asserted that the company is actively pushing for the completion of KYC formalities to better manage the subsidy transfer process. He maintained that while the current situation is difficult for consumers, the strengthening of digital tracking and increased daily dispatch numbers will lead to an improvement in the supply chain shortly.
