SIDRA KHAN
A full-blown cri sis in domestic LPG supply has gripped Sattari taluka, leaving hundreds of house holds struggling to meet basic cooking needs amid prolonged delivery delays, technical failures, and ad ministrative lapses. For over a month, resi dents across Sattari have been battling an unreliable supply of cooking gas. Despite booking cylinders well in advance, many consumers report that deliveries are ei ther delayed or not made at all, disrupting daily life and forcing families into distress. What has aggravated the situation is the mandatory OTP (One-Time Password) system introduced for cylin der delivery. While intended to ensure transparency, the system has instead become a major bottleneck. Con sumers say they often do not receive OTPs on their regis tered mobile numbers, mak ing it impossible to accept deliveries even when cylin ders arrive at their doorstep. “Earlier, the process was smooth. Now, even when the cylinder comes, we are help less without the OTP,” said a frustrated resident. A growing number of consumers have raised serious allegations against the gas agencies in Sanquelim and Valpoi, citing mismanagement, lack of communication, and poor grievance re dressal as key reasons behind the worsening crisis. The situation escalated further as several con sumers recently gath ered at the Sanquelim gas office, demanding accountability for the persistent delays. Many claimed that the agen cy has stopped accept ing bookings for new or additional connections, turning away customers without explanation. There are few things more politically embar rassing than a broken promise. For Chief Min ister Pramod Sawant, that embarrassment is materialising in Sanque lim as he had publicly assured citizens that domestic LPG cylinders would be delivered within 25 days of an on line booking. Meanwhile adding to the chaos, the agency’s contact number has reportedly remained unreachable, leaving consumers with no way to track their bookings or seek clarification. “No OTP, no delivery, and no response from the office— we are completely in the dark,” said another aggrieved con sumer. An official from the agency, speaking on condition of an onymity, admitted to a shortage of refilled cylinders. “Even those who booked two months ago are still waiting. We are trying to manage, but supply constraints are real,” the of ficial said. The official also pointed to network-related issues, par ticularly affecting users with BSNL numbers, as a reason for OTP failures. Meanwhile, the extension of the delivery cycle from 25 to 35 days has only intensified the hardship, especially for households dependent on a single cylinder. With frustration mounting and no immediate relief in sight, residents have urgently appealed to the Civil Sup plies Department to intervene, streamline distribution, fix technical glitches, and ensure accountability among agen cies. Unless swift corrective measures are taken, citizens warned that the crisis could deepen further, pushing more families in Sattari into a daily struggle for something as ba sic as cooking a meal.
