Margherita Residents Decry LPG Booking Delays as Congested Townside Godown Raises Public Safety Concerns

OUR CORRESPONDENT

DIGBOI: A growing LPG delivery controversy has gripped Margherita in Tinsukia district, with consumers alleging cancelled bookings, prolonged delays, and repeated trips to M/S Margherita Gas Supply, even as the location of its LPG godown in a densely populated part of the town has triggered a separate set of safety questions.

The scale of the consumer rush has also spilt onto the public road, creating a traffic and public-order challenge. A police official attached to the nearby Margherita police station said that the crowd seeking LPG services sometimes becomes so heavy that police personnel have to be deployed to regulate traffic and prevent situations involving physical confrontation.

He added that the persistent congestion has caused severe public nuisance and turned the stretch into an accident-prone area.

The complaints prompted an angry question from another consumer over the movement of LPG consignments. "If consignments from the Digboi Gopaneri bottling plant are being ensured smoothly, then where are these cylinders going?" the consumer asked, demanding greater transparency in the distribution chain.

Consumers have further alleged that the LPG Marketing Department had imposed penalties on the Margherita agency on several occasions, yet complaints over delayed services and booking-related difficulties allegedly continue.

Following allegations by a nearby priestly family claiming ownership of the disputed land on which the godown stands, The Sentinel conducted a spot visit on Wednesday and found the facility at Verner Mill Bazar, along Ram Janaki Naga Thakur Bari Road, close to Margherita police station, amid a thick residential and commercial belt.

The LPG retail outlet and its godown are located within roughly 100 metres of each other, bringing LPG-related activities into proximity to homes, shops, and a busy marketplace.

A contrasting arrangement was observed at the Digboi M/S Petro Gas Agency with the consignment facility, which is situated away from the main town in an isolated tract at a higher elevation, surrounded by bushes and open space. The contrasting ground realities underline the importance of examining whether adequate safeguards are available at the Margherita facility given its densely populated surroundings.

Also Read: Domestic LPG Refill Booking Gap Reduced to 25 Days Nationwide