Social media flooded with posts to sell and buy LPG cylinders | Pune News
Pune: The ongoing LPG cylinder crisis has led to a flood of posts on social media in the last few days for sales and resales of the precious cooking fuel, as well as desperate pleas to source it off the grid.TOI came across several such offers online in recent days, including one on a community formed on a social network expressly for trading this commodity. The post displayed the photo of a small-sized domestic gas cylinder, contact details and a tagline that read: “No bargaining, fixed price of Rs900.”
Another post claimed that the person had bought a Bharat Gas cylinder just a few days ago for Rs3,200, but they were now leaving town. While they wanted to surrender the cylinder, they could not do so as it was not 100% full, as norms mandate. Hence, they were offering the barely used domestic cylinder for a discount price of Rs2,000 and asking for an empty cylinder alongside.Yet another such post said: “BPCL gas cylinder (full) available immediately. Price: Rs1,800.”This slew of alluring offers, however, comes with its own risks. A Hadapsar resident, requesting anonymity, told TOI that he recently contacted one such seller on Facebook and almost paid them. “The post claimed that this person in Hadapsar had an empty Bharat Gas cylinder and another half-empty one, with both on sale together for Rs3,500. I contacted the person and was told to transfer the money, but a relative of mine intervened and said this looked fishy. I was convinced and blocked the person,” he said.Bibvewadi resident Umesh Phalke said he has seen many such posts online lately. “One person was selling a half-empty gas cylinder and burner for Rs3,000 in total, while another offered an empty cylinder for Rs2,000 in Tilekarnagar. In yet another post, the seller wanted Rs5,000 for a stove set and cylinder. Most of the posts have photos of the cylinders. Is all this legal? Isn’t there a process involved, via an agency? Does the district administration know about all this?” the working professional said.And it’s not just sellers, but also buyers. Posts like “Wanted, empty HP gas cylinder”, “Wanted, any HP or Bharat Gas cylinder”, “Does anyone have a full Bharat Gas cylinder?” are in abundance, too. A representative of a gas agency in Kondhwa said people are getting desperate and falling into traps. “We are still doing home deliveries. Many queries are pouring in. However, people should not fall for scams and lose money,” he said.Commenting on the trend, district supply officer Prashant Khatal said, “If this is happening, it is illegal. At the most, a person can lend their cylinder to a friend or neighbour for a day or two, but selling it is illegal.”Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi also urged citizens to verify information before believing or sharing it. “Social media is flooded with misinformation. People should not fall into this trap or be driven by panic,” he said. Dudi clarified that domestic LPG cylinders are being supplied through an OTP-based delivery system, with a mandatory 25-day interval between refills. “No authorised gas agency is charging more than the stipulated price,” he added.He warned that any individual making allegations of overpricing must back them with proof. “If credible evidence is provided, we will initiate action, including suspension of an agency’s licence,” he said. He added that they are providing cylinders to the doorsteps of those with domestic cylinder connections, so that nobody needs to queue up in front of gas agencies.