Srinagar, July 15: Government claims on availability of stocks notwithstanding, the people here are facing a hard time due to shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders.
 People from various parts of Srinagar city and outskirts told Greater Kashmir that there was shortage of LPG cylinders in their areas for past several days.
 “Despite government’s tall claims on availability of essential stocks including LPG cylinders and petroleum products in the Valley, we don’t have cooking gas cylinders available in our area,” said Muhammad Shafi Shawl here at Sheher-e- Khaas.
 Many people complained that dealers were creating artificial shortage in the market and were selling refill cylinders at higher prices. “A domestic LPG cylinder weighing 14.2 kg, which actually costs around Rs 370, is being sold at Rs 400 to 500 in the black market,” they said, adding, “as a result of these malpractices by some dealers, we are unable to get LPG cylinders.”
 When contacted, director Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Abdul Waheed Tak, said for past three to four days, bottling process of Hindustan Petroleum Gas at Awantipora was stopped, as the labourers at the bottling plants were stuck in the curfew. “Then in troubled and curfew-bound areas, the movement of LPG cylinders was stopped by the administration as a precautionary measure, for some days back some unscrupulous elements had tried to set ablaze a vehicle loaded with LPG cylinders at Nowshehra, which could have led to a major disaster,” he said.
 Tak, however, said the LPG supply was restored now. “The vehicles are very much on wheels at many places, so “nothing to worry about.”
 “But if any locality is facing shortage of cylinders, we are in contact with them and we immediately attend to that locality,” he said.
 Meanwhile, people in many areas said government should devise some method to check the artificial shortage of gas cylinders. “It is true that Valley has enough of stocks of LPG and other essential commodities. But the problem is that there are some unscrupulous dealers and traders who are trying to create artificial shortage of such commodities,” said
 Muhammad Burhan from Bemina. He said the authorities should see to it that no artificial shortage is created by such traders.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST