LPG shortage hits Andaman Islands hard

Port Blair, Nov 25 (UNI) Acute shortage of LPG cylinders and poor distribution system has hit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands hard, resulting in suffering for the residents there.

Meanwhile, the residents had lodged innumerable complaints in the past two months, but to no avail, forcing the people to switch over to the traditional modes of cooking.

Chief Spokesperson of the Andaman unit of the Congress K Ganeshan, in a letter addressed to the Union Petroleum Minister, stated, ''Almost all the islands of this remote archipelago are hit hard due to LPG shortage and poor distribution system.'' When the matter was raised in front of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Lt Governor Bhopinder Singh, he directed the concerned officials to take up the matter with IOC officials and urged the LPG distribution agencies to maintain buffer stocks, especially in North and Middle Andaman and also in the southern group of the islands.

He also directed the Civil Supplies department to ensure that the distribution schedule of LPG in different locations of the islands was published in advance in the newspapers here for the benefit of the general public.

''We will solve the crisis as early as possible,'' Mr Singh assured.

UNI