A crematorium, a gurdwara and nearly 100 households in Dyalpur village of Kartarpur are facing an acute LPG shortage after a Begowal-based gas agency allegedly backed out of supplying cylinders to its own registered consumers.While a Kartarpur-based agency supplied 50 cylinders on Tuesday after residents and a rural workers’ union blocked the highway, the one in Begowal is yet to deliver cylinders, worsening the crisis.With no LPG available, the village gurdwara and crematorium have been forced to use balan (firewood). Around 100 households are also cooking on firewood. Sarpanch Harjinder Singh said the agency had promised LPG connections when villagers applied for these, but was now citing jurisdiction issues. “They say it is an emergency situation and cylinders cannot be supplied outside their area. These are not extra demands but registered consumers. Where are their cylinders going?” he asked, alleging that agency officials had stopped taking his calls.On Wednesday, five to six families from the village loaded their empty cylinders onto an autorickshaw and reached the agency 20-25 km away to refill these, but they had to return empty-handed.Parminder Singh said, “We spent money from our own pockets to approach the agency for refill. But they refused us, saying, cylinders can only be sent through vehicles. Cylinders’ black market rates touch Rs 3,000-3,500. We can’t afford such costly cylinders.”Several families continue to wait at the panchayat ghar, where cylinder delivery vehicles usually arrive. However, apart from the 50 cylinders supplied by another agency, no delivery has been made by the Begowal agency so far.Sarpanch Harjinder Singh adds, “It is disappointing to watch people return home heavy-hearted. I’ve been making calls to the agency but now they blocked my phone.”The crematorium, before the LPG shortage, was using only LPG to cremate bodies but has now been forced to switch to ‘balan’ (firewood).Harsharan Singh, District Food and Civil Supply Controller, Kapurthala, said, “The issue has come to our notice and will be checked at the earliest.” Narinder Singh, District Food and Civil Supply Controller, Jalandhar, added, “All complaints in Jalandhar are immediately being addressed. Of the over 50 complaints received by us, majority have been addressed.”