LPG Dealers Highlight Supply and System Challenges with Gadkari Amid Maharashtra's PNG Expansion Push Nagpur: The LPG Dealers Association of India (LADAI) Maharashtra president Jaiprakash Tiwari met Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday to address pressing concerns raised by LPG distributors across the state. Tiwari outlined several operational hurdles, including irregular gas supply, technical glitches with the OTP-based delivery system, server disruptions, and the impact of interlock mechanisms on service continuity. He also emphasized the growing operational strain on distributors, which has led to heightened law-and-order issues in certain areas. Gadkari assured Tiwari that the matter would be escalated to relevant authorities for resolution. LADAI described the meeting as a critical step toward addressing long-standing grievances and pledged to continue advocating for distributors’ interests. The meeting coincided with Maharashtra’s accelerated push to expand piped natural gas (PNG) connections, a move driven by global supply disruptions affecting LPG availability. Acting on directives from the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas, the state’s food, civil supplies, and consumer protection department issued operational guidelines to city gas distribution (CGD) companies. These guidelines mandate the appointment of district-level nodal officers to oversee PNG pipeline expansion and require CGD firms to submit weekly progress reports. The reports must detail domestic, commercial, and industrial PNG connections, including registration numbers, installation rates, pipeline lengths completed, and pending tasks.#maharashtra #nitin_gadkari #lpg_dealers_association_of_india #pipelined_natural_gas #jaiprakash_tiwari
LPG flame still dim, delivery delays stretched to 20-30 days Nagpur: Despite repeated claims by the government and oil marketing companies (OMCs) that LPG supply is normalizing, residents and businesses across the city continue to face severe shortages of cylinders, with delivery delays extending to 20-30 days after booking. Consumers report that the situation has worsened over the past weeks, disrupting household routines and commercial operations. Many residents said they had to wait an additional 20-30 days beyond the mandatory 25-day gap between bookings, pushing the total waiting period to nearly 50 days. Some consumers noted that their bookings were canceled without delivery, while others received messages indicating cylinders were "delivered" despite not receiving them. This confusion has deepened frustration among those already struggling with limited availability. The crisis, which began in early March due to the West Asia conflict, initially caused long queues outside gas agencies. While the situation has marginally improved, several areas in the city still report supply shortages and sporadic long lines. Officials from the district administration admitted that supply has not yet returned to pre-crisis levels. Before the disruption, Nagpur received approximately 33,000 domestic cylinders and 1,200 commercial cylinders daily. Currently, domestic supply fluctuates between 18,000 and 25,000 cylinders, while commercial supply has plummeted to just 120 cylinders per day. A senior official from the Collectorate stated that during a recent review meeting, the newly appointed district collector issued strict instructions to gas agencies and companies to ensure citizens are not further affected.#nagpur #west_asia #lpg_dealers_association_of_india #mahendra_gavai #bablu_tiwari
Commercial LPG Supply Shortfall Persists in Nagpur Nagpur: Despite some commercial LPG supply resuming, the persistent backlog continues to leave hotels, caterers, and bulk users struggling to meet operational demands. LPG dealers report that even large distributors are receiving only 50-80 cylinders daily, far below the required volume, leading to delays and forced rationing. The shortage has been attributed to operational bottlenecks caused by the mandatory OTP-based delivery system, which has significantly slowed the supply chain. Bablu Tiwari, state president of the LPG Dealers Association of India, highlighted that OTP verification has increased delivery time per cylinder, reducing the total number of refills completed daily. "Each delivery now takes 10 to 15 minutes due to OTP verification, sharply cutting the daily supply capacity," Tiwari stated. The association has raised multiple concerns with authorities, citing issues such as unregistered mobile numbers during deliveries, particularly in households where the connection holder is absent. Tiwari noted that workers in industrial areas cannot access phones during duty hours, while many consumers have outdated contact details. In rural and semi-urban regions, frequent SIM card changes further compromise OTP validation reliability. Technical glitches and logistical challenges, including undelivered OTP messages on certain networks and delivery staff unfamiliarity with smartphones, have also contributed to delays. "Software errors during OTP entry are causing repeated delays, worsening the backlog," Tiwari added. A meeting was held on Wednesday with senior district administration officials, gas agencies, and distributors to address the crisis.#nagpur #lpg_dealers_association_of_india #bablu_tiwari #hp_gas #nara
Commercial LPG Supply Resumes, But Demand Surges Amid Shortage Nagpur: The supply of commercial LPG cylinders for the hospitality sector in Nagpur resumed after nearly a month of disruption, though stakeholders insist the situation remains far from normal. The resumption has been met with sharp increases in demand, creating operational challenges for both consumers and gas agency owners. Local distributors reported that oil marketing companies have restarted the supply chain for commercial cylinders, which had been severely disrupted over the past few weeks. This disruption left many hotels, eateries, and other hospitality establishments struggling to operate, with some forced to cut services or seek alternative fuel arrangements. Bablu Tiwari, state president of the LPG Dealers Association of India, confirmed the resumption of supply to The Times of India but highlighted the ongoing difficulties. “We had been continuously demanding commercial cylinders from oil companies, and they have finally started supplying them. We are forwarding these cylinders to hotels, restaurants, and other establishments in the hospitality industry. However, due to panic buying, consumers who earlier asked for one cylinder are now demanding five,” Tiwari said. He emphasized that the situation has worsened due to frequent changes in guidelines issued by oil marketing companies (OMCs). “We are facing an unprecedented crisis because of issues in the system of oil companies,” Tiwari added, noting that new rules introduced every other day are disrupting smooth operations and forcing consumers to wait in long queues. While domestic LPG cylinder supply has normalized, long queues persist outside gas agency offices and godowns across the city.#nagpur #oil_marketing_companies #times_of_india #lpg_dealers_association_of_india #bablu_tiwari
Online booking chaos: LPG dealers demand ESMA action against oil companies LPG dealers in Nagpur have called for legal action against oil companies under the Emergency Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) for failing to ensure their online booking systems operate 24/7, leading to widespread consumer frustration. The Maharashtra chapter of the LPG Dealers Association of India (LDAI) has raised concerns about the safety of their staff, who are now working extended hours under pressure from irate customers. Bablu Tiwari, state president of the LDAI, emphasized that ESMA mandates uninterrupted service, stating, “ESMA means you cannot stop the service under any condition. If dealers fear for their lives and lock their godowns, the police will be at their doorstep.” The issue stems from oil companies’ inability to maintain functional online booking portals, resulting in delayed or failed OTP deliveries. Mahendra Gavai, owner of a gas agency with over 50,000 registered customers, criticized the lack of IT infrastructure upgrades, noting, “The OTP delivery problem has persisted for a long time. Many consumers have complained, yet the system remains sluggish.” He argued that reliance on outdated technology is exacerbating the crisis, comparing it to the efficiency of Mumbai’s dabbawalas, who deliver food without digital systems. The malfunctioning platform has forced delivery staff to work 14-hour shifts instead of the standard eight, with employees required to punch authentication codes for deliveries on the same day. Gavai explained, “With the portal often unresponsive, staff are working late into the night to complete tasks. Additionally, we have only a three-hour window to place orders for loads, or they get delayed to the next day.#nagpur #lpg_dealers_association_of_india #esma #mahendra_gavai #bablu_tiwari
