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Police deployed at LPG agencies in Meerut as server outage disrupts bookings
The move comes amid rising chaos and arguments at several gas agencies as residents struggle to obtain domestic gas cylinders.
Authorities in Meerut district on Friday deployed police personnel at LPG agencies and set up temporary distribution points in residential colonies to manage crowds and ensure uninterrupted supply after the online booking servers of gas companies crashed, leaving consumers unable to book cylinders.
The move comes amid rising chaos and arguments at several gas agencies as residents struggle to obtain domestic gas cylinders.
Superintendent of police (SP) City Ayush Vikram Singh said that, on the instructions of senior officials, police personnel have been deployed at gas agencies to maintain law and order. He added that instead of distributing cylinders directly from agency counters, efforts will be made to ensure home delivery to consumers to prevent overcrowding and disputes.
With the online booking system down and earlier bookings getting delayed, gas agencies have begun sending cylinders in small vehicles to various residential areas. Temporary distribution points have been set up in colonies, where consumers are being provided cylinders based on their booking slips. The distribution points have been set up at Sharda Road, Gymkhana Ground, Garh Road, Shastri Nagar and Jagriti Vihar.
Officials said the servers of gas companies are down, preventing consumers from booking cylinders online even after the mandatory 25-day gap. Gas agencies have been instructed to record bookings manually in offline registers and supply cylinders accordingly.
Meanwhile, local residents Shadab and Nasir in a social media post alleged that in areas such as Humayun Nagar, Zakir Colony and Islamabad, LPG cylinders are being sold in the black market for between ₹1,500 and ₹1,800.
District supply officer Vinay Kumar Singh said cylinder distribution is being carried out transparently and warned that strict action will be taken against anyone involved in black marketing.
He said that the district supply department has formed teams and launched inspections across urban and rural areas following complaints of LPG black marketing, adding that the gas supply is adequate and warned that FIRs will be filed against anyone involved in illegal sale or hoarding.
The disruption in commercial LPG supply has hit hotels and eateries, causing cooking difficulties. However, authorities are prioritising domestic LPG supply to households across the district.
A large number of consumers have not completed the mandatory e-KYC process for their LPG connections, leading to the temporary deactivation of several connections. As a result, many consumers are now visiting gas agencies to complete the verification process.
District magistrate VK Singh said there is no shortage of LPG in Meerut and urged residents not to believe rumours circulating on social media. He also appealed to people to avoid unnecessary crowding at gas agencies.
