Unprecedented crisis of LPG cylinders in Dhubri town since the sealing of Gadadhar Gas Agency by the Dhubri District Food and Civil Supply Department

A Correspondent

DHUBRI: Unprecedented crisis of cooking gas has hit the people of Dhubri since the sealing of Gadadhar Gas Agency of Dhubri by the Dhubri District Food and Civil Supply Department at the instance of Oil India Limited (OIL) for alleged anomalies in distribution of LPG cylinders among the consumers last month.

There are two gas agencies in Dhubri town- Ashok Gas Agency and Gadadhar Gas Agency - supplying more than 45,000 LPG cylinders to consumers. But due to sudden sealing of Gadadhar Gas Agency, consumers have been facing a great deal of inconvenience in getting LPG cylinders from Ashok Gas Agency authorized by the district administration to distribute the cooking gas cylinders among the consumers of Gadadhar Gas Agency.

Consumers alleged that both the agencies distribute LPG cylinders at six different points of the town as fixed by Dhubri Deputy Commissioner Ananta Lal Gyani in 2017. Ashok Gas Agency has been distributing cylinders as usual on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at six points of distribution. However, distribution meant for Gadadhar Gas Agency on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday was not done by Ashok Gas Agency and this has created crisis of cooking gas in the town since last month, consumers of Gadadhar Gas Agency alleged.

An official source informed that both the agencies combine have over 45,000 consumers and half of the consumers of Gadadhar Gas Agency had been hit by sealing of the agency.

Dhubri District Food and Civil Supply Department seized all files, papers, books and sealed Gadadhar Gas Agency at the instance of OIL for alleged anomalies in allotting LPG connection as well as gross anomalies in implementation of the Ujjawala Yojana.

When contacted by The Sentinel, Dhubri District Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies, Bipin Chakraborty, while admitting the inconvenience caused to the consumers due to sealing of Gadadhar Gas Agency, informed that he was continuously monitoring the situation and had already managed five trucks loaded with LPG cylinders and even two trucks from Bengal on Tuesday. The cylinders will be distributed from Wednesday.

“I am trying my level best to overcome this unprecedented crisis of LPG cylinder and I am also making efforts to re-open the Gadadhar Gas Agency after hearing and observing all official procedures and formalities soon so that consumers can get relief from the cooking gas crisis,” Chakraborty assured.

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