Cylinders from Thoothukudi sought to solve LPG crisis

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the capital city continues to reel under a gas shortage, citizens groups have demanded that oil companies bring gas from Thoothukudi and Nammakkal to ease the shortage.

Even as officials claim that the number of cylinders being bottled in Paripally plant have increased from 30 last week to nearly 100, several customers are yet to receive gas cylinders.

Consumer rights organisation have requested Indane officials to seek gas from Tamil Nadu bottling plants. Officials said that arrangements would be considered if there were adequate spare cylinders in those plants. Activists have threatened that they would go to court against companies and stakeholders if distribution is not normalized.

“There is still a severe shortage in the market. It takes the distribution system at least three days to recover even from a one day strike. Paripally which had an output of 130 cylinders daily at its peak is likely to take time to recover from recent strikes. We will consider further litigation if they fail to meet our demands,” said FRAT General Secretary Maruthankuzhy Satheesh Kumar.

Gangadharan, a senior citizen who booked a cylinder 55 days ago, said that even Bharath gas cylinders were slow in coming. “I live on the third floor and on Saturday I had to carry a cylinder which I borrowed from a neighbour.  But today their cylinder got over and we have a crisis,” the former secretariat employee lamented.  

Experts say that extension of piped gas could be an alternative to LPG cylinders.