Pune: Residents across rural areas of the state have alleged discrimination in govt’s decision to allow booking of domestic liquified petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders only after 45 days, even as urban consumers can book a refill after 25 days. The sharp criticism arises against the backdrop of the ongoing LPG shortage sparked by the conflict in West Asia.Hundreds of villagers said the rule is unfair as LPG consumption in rural areas has risen significantly over the years, with most households now relying on gas cylinders instead of traditional chulhas. They argued that imposing different refill limits for urban and rural consumers is unjustified.Union petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri, speaking in Parliament during the ongoing session in Delhi on Thursday, said the minimum booking period was introduced as a demand management measure. “A 25-day minimum booking period has been introduced in urban areas and the same is 45 days for rural and interior areas,” he said.Sunil Kalbhor, a resident of Narayangaon in Pune district, said joint families are more common in villages, resulting in higher LPG consumption. “In rural areas, families usually have more members staying together, due to which gas consumption is higher. Govt should not differentiate between rural and urban consumers,” he said.Sunita More, a resident of Maval, echoed that she has five members in the family and they require cylinder refills every 28-30 days. “Before announcing this decision, govt should have at least considered whether the allowed quantity would be enough for families,” she rued.The move will also aid blackmarketeering, said some rural residents. Pritam Purohit, a resident of Bhor, alleged that LPG agencies in such areas already delay deliveries citing non-availability and often sell cylinders in the black market. “The official 45-day cap has now given them a legitimate excuse to continue such illegal practices,” he said.Another resident of Bhor, Sachin Gaikwad, pointed out that many villages organise festivals and yatras or fairs, during which family members working in cities return home, increasing LPG demand, particularly during the summer season. “During such occasions, gas consumption rises sharply and the 45-day restriction will create problems for villagers,” he said, emphasizing that most households no longer depend on traditional chulhas and do not keep firewood at home.A rural resident from Kolhapur’s Herwad, Bandopant Patil, said, “Ours was a large family, but now it has divided and arranging for wood is more difficult. Most of us rely on LPG supply. Earlier, some of us used to make cakes from cow dung for fuel, but we don’t have any stock left as the cakes are made in April and May. Many of us also have avoided making dung cakes since the floods of 2019 as our stock was all destroyed in the waterlogging.“While govt claimed that adequate LPG stocks are available and urged people not to indulge in panic buying, several rural residents claimed they were turned away by agencies citing shortages this week. Shabiul Raza Sayyad, a resident of Junnar, said, “The gas agency told me demand had increased and asked me to return later when I visited for a refill on Tuesday.”Some residents also claimed that despite having waited for the mandated 45-day period, they are still unable to book cylinders online and had to visit agencies in person, where long queues were seen outside.An official from a gas agency in Junnar, preferring anonymity, told TOI, “We were already witnessing panic buying when govt introduced the 25-day cap for refills. Now, with a 45-day cap for some customers, the situation will further worsen and we will have to deal with it.”Some villagers were, however, not so affected. Dipak Mali, who resides with his 47-member family in rural Terwad in Kolhapur district, said, “We cook food on the chulha daily. We arrange for wood from old trees that are cut on farms annually, and keep these in stock. We use LPG cylinders only for urgent purposes, such as making tea for guests, or boiling milk for children. Also, we have ensured multiple connections for LPG cylinders. So, I do not think the 45-day restriction to refill LPG cylinders will have a huge impact on us in near future.”(With inputs from Abhijeet Patil)Action will continue against rule violations: Pune district collectorPune district collector Jitendra Dudi on Friday once again said there is no shortage of LPG for domestic consumers and urged citizens to avoid panic-buying of cylinders.He said the administration has adequate LPG stock for domestic customers and assured that the supply situation will remain normal in coming days. Dudi added that govt has instructed the district administration to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to hospitals and hostels, and officials are taking necessary steps to implement the directive.The collector said special squads have been formed in each taluka, led by tehsildars, to monitor the situation and prevent black marketing of LPG cylinders. “We have received complaints about cylinders being sold at higher rates and have taken action accordingly,” he said, adding that strict action against violators will continue.
