66-year

A 66-year-old man died of an alleged heart attack while waiting in line at an LPG gas agency in Punjab’s Barnala district Friday, underscoringrising consumer anxiety amid ongoing gas supplyconcerns linked to the West Asia conflict.

The deceased, identified as Bhushan Kumar Mittal, reached a gas agency in the Shehna block of Barnala district early in the morning to get an LPG cylinder.

According to sources, Mittal had been waiting in the queue since around 8 am and was given token number 25 for the cylinder.

After waiting in line for nearly two hours at the LPG agency, Mittal reportedly sat on a gas cylinder due to exhaustion and suddenly collapsed around 10 am.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him “brought dead Preliminary reports suggest thatthe man suffered a cardiac arrest, sources said.

The incident occurred amid ongoing disruptions to the LPG booking system and concerns about supply in parts of Punjab.

Despite assurances from gas agencies and district administrations that domestic cylinders are available and that only commercial supplies have been cut by 20 per cent, many consumers continue to stand in long queues to secure their cylinders.

Mittal’s son, Dev Raj, told mediapersons that arrangements were being made to get a postmortem of his father’s body.

Reacting to the incident, Congress leader Sukhwinder Singh Dhaliwal from the Bhadaur constituency said that the Centre was responsible for the situation.

Dhaliwal said the deceased earned his livelihood through daily labour and supported his family through hard work.

Extending his condolences to the bereaved family, Dhaliwal said it was unfortunate that people were being forced to stand in long queues for LPG cylinders, and such circumstances ultimately led to Mittal’s death.

He also demanded that both the Centre and the Punjab Government provide financial compensation to the deceased’s family.

Meanwhile, TheIndian Expressattempted to contact Harpreet Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Barnala, to seek details about the incident and the availability of LPG supplies in the district.

However, the official said he was in a meeting and could not comment immediately.

Officials have linked anxiety over LPG availability to the broader energy supply concerns emerging from the ongoing conflict in West Asia, involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which has raised fears about disruptions in global fuel supply chains.

In Punjab, these concerns have led to increased demand at the consumer level, with many people visiting gas agencies to confirm bookings or collect cooking gas cylinders.

Consumers have complained about the online LPG booking system, which reportedly malfunctioned from the afternoon of March 11, forcing many to visit gas agencies in person to book or receive deliveries.

During Wednesday’s meetings with deputy commissioners from various districts, LPG agency dealers highlighted that the online booking server was malfunctioning, causing major inconvenience to consumers.

Dealers also noted that even when bookings are successfully made, consumers often do not receive the mobile OTP required for delivery, resulting in additional delays in cylinder distribution.

“Instructions have been issued to all deputy commissioners in Punjab to ensure that no shortage of LPG gas occurs anywhere in the state.

Strict action will be taken against anyone found hoarding cylinders or selling them in the black market,” Punjab CMBhagwant Mannsaid Thursday.

On the same day, the Punjab Assembly passed a resolution against the Centre for the current LPG crisis.

Ministers and MLAs from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the Opposition Congress argued that the ongoing West Asia conflict has disrupted energy supply routes and affected LPG availability in India.

They claimed the Centre failed to maintain balanced diplomatic relations in the region, which is crucial for India’s energy security.

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