LPG Cylinder Delivery Now Mandatory With OTP, Oil Companies Issue New Instructions

Gas Booking Rules: To obtain a cooking gas cylinder, you must provide an OTP. The Petroleum Ministry has now mandated oil companies to implement the Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) system 80 percent of the time. This means that if 80 percent of consumers don’t collect cylinders based on their OTP, the distribution system will be deemed incomplete in the petroleum companies’ records. This could also result in disruptions to supplies from agencies.

Amidst the cylinder shortage, the strict DAC requirements are increasing consumer anxiety. Petroleum companies established the DAC system about five years ago. They stated that upon booking a cylinder, a four-digit code would be sent to the consumer’s mobile phone number. This code would have to be shared with the hawker delivering the cylinder. When the hawker delivers the cylinder to the consumer, he or she would have to enter this code into the system.

Only after this the distribution process will be completed. Keeping in view the reluctance in getting OTP and the problem in getting OTP in rural areas, the DAC system was not made mandatory. Due to this there was no problem in getting cylinders but now the companies have made DAC up to 80 percent mandatory. If

DAC is not there then the problems of the agency operator will increase. If cylinders are distributed without DAC then the problems of the agency operator will increase. Due to this the availability of cylinders in the warehouse of the agency operator will be visible on the system of the oil companies. The agency operator will not be given the supply of cylinders until their stock goes down to less than 20 percent.

Consumers who recently purchased cylinders are facing difficulties due to lack of bookings. This is troubling them. Oil companies have already established a system for booking cylinders 25 days after purchase, but people are now reaching agency showrooms and pressuring them to book.

Growing resentment against operators:
Consumers who previously received cylinders without bookings are facing the most difficulties. These consumers still demand cylinders without bookings. When agency operators request bookings, their resentment grows. Many people have connections in rural areas but live in cities and purchase cylinders through their connections. These individuals are also facing increasing difficulties.

While the shortage of cooking gas is increasing, Indian Oil closed its bottling plant in GIDA on Sunday. It was initially stated that cylinders would be refilled at the plant even after the Sunday holiday. This would allow cylinders to be sent to as many agencies as possible, but the plant was closed on Sunday. Earlier also the plant was kept closed on Holi.