Sri Vijaya Puram, Dec. 21: Shri Bishnu Pada Ray, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, has drawn the attention of Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Hon’ble Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India, to the persistent shortage and delay in the supply of LPG cylinders across various parts of the Islands.
The MP highlighted that due to irregular distribution and delayed delivery of LPG cylinders, domestic consumers and commercial establishments are facing serious inconvenience in meeting their essential cooking and livelihood needs. He stated that the crisis has primarily emerged due to shortcomings in the present LPG distribution mechanism, including inadequate management by authorised distributors, insufficient number of full-fledged distributors, and a heavy dependence on a limited number of agents who lack the necessary infrastructure, manpower, transportation facilities, and storage capacity.
The situation is reported to be particularly severe in Guptapara, Wandoor, Ferrargunj Tehsil, Dairy Farm area of Sri Vijaya Puram Tehsil, Car Nicobar, Campbell Bay and nearby regions. Large numbers of affected consumers from these areas have submitted mass petitions seeking immediate redressal of the crisis.
Shri Bishnu Pada Ray has urged the Union Petroleum Minister to conduct a comprehensive examination of the grievances raised by consumers and initiate permanent corrective measures, including the appointment of additional authorised LPG distributors in accordance with prescribed norms to ensure adequate coverage and timely delivery. He has also requested urgent directions to be issued to Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. and the Consumer Affairs Department of A&N Administration to ensure uninterrupted and timely supply of LPG cylinders throughout the Islands.
The MP expressed confidence that timely intervention by the Hon’ble Minister will provide much-needed relief to the people of these remote and geographically challenging Islands.