Sri Vijaya Puram, October 22: The Gram Panchayat Harinagar has written to the Assistant Commissioner, Mayabunder Sub-Division, North & Middle Andaman District, requesting the resolution of the acute LPG cylinder crisis and permission for a second cylinder refill under the Gram Panchayat.
In the letter, the Pradhan of Gram Panchayat Harinagar brought to notice a pressing grievance regarding the distribution of LPG cylinders by the Consumers Cooperative Stores (CCS) Ltd. in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of the Gram Panchayat. For the past 3 to 4 months, there had been a complete disruption in the supply of LPG cylinders to the locality. CCS has recently resumed the distribution of cylinders in the area, which brought temporary relief. However, due to the prolonged supply gap, all households in the Panchayat currently have both of their cylinders completely empty.
As a result, residents are facing an acute domestic fuel crisis and are collectively demanding that they be allowed to refill both of their empty cylinders during this distribution cycle. The letter states that the CCS distribution employees are providing only one refilled cylinder per consumer and are rejecting the genuine demands of the residents, stating that providing two refills simultaneously is against the rules. While one cylinder satisfies immediate cooking needs, it leaves families without any backup supply, creating widespread panic about future distribution delays.
The Pradhan has requested the Assistant Commissioner’s intervention to authorise a practical solution: once every consumer in the area has received the first refilled cylinder, the remaining backlog of refilled cylinders should be provided against the second empty cylinders of the households. Citing the severe hardship faced by the rural households, the Pradhan urged that the necessary directions be issued to the CCS management to manage and fulfil the cylinder supply effectively.
