A widening gap between official statements and everyday experience is fuelling frustration among LPG consumers in Guwahati.
While ministers and government sources continue to maintain that there is no LPG crisis in India, residents across the city say they are unable to book cylinders — with gas agencies reportedly citing lack of stock as the reason.
The disconnect has left many questioning what is actually happening with LPG supply on the ground.
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City resident Kukil Baruah put the public mood into words plainly.
"I'm genuinely confused and concerned about what's happening with LPG availability right now. On one hand, ministers and news reports keep saying there is no LPG crisis in India. But on the ground, my experience — and that of many people I know — tells a very different story," he said.
Baruah added that several people he knows are unable to place bookings at all, while restaurants in the area are struggling to keep their kitchens running due to supply disruptions.
The shortage — or what residents are experiencing as one — has created fertile ground for black market activity.
According to another Guwahati resident, LPG cylinders are being sold in certain areas at prices ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 per cylinder — several times the official rate.
"This is just an out of control situation now. Middle class people like us are suffering so hard," the resident said.
The crisis is hitting Guwahati's food and hospitality businesses particularly hard.
Several restaurants across the city are reportedly either shutting down temporarily or resorting to using firewood as an alternative fuel source — a stark indicator of how acute the supply crunch has become at the commercial level.
For small eateries already operating on thin margins, the inability to access LPG at a reasonable price is pushing many to the edge.
As of now, there has been no detailed official response addressing the specific ground-level complaints being raised by consumers and businesses in Guwahati.
With residents unable to reconcile official reassurances with their daily experience, pressure is growing on both state and central authorities to either clarify the true state of LPG supply — or take concrete steps to fix it.