Home delivery of cooking gas in Calcutta and surrounding areas has taken a hit amid the lockdown as oil companies are reeling under the twin blows of a surge in demand and the absence of delivery men.
LPG distributors complain that the families and neighbourhoods of delivery personnel, many of whom live in villages and towns around the city, are preventing them from coming to work fearing Covid-19 infection.
Oil agencies, their godowns and LPG transportation are specifically exempted from the lockdown.
But the oil companies are reporting a 20-40 per cent drop in attendance by delivery personnel at a time the booking volume has risen by 50 per cent, with the consumers making advance purchases during the lockdown.
