No sweets, no gas: How a missing Diwali treat brought LPG supply to a standstill in Kochi

Ambalamugal, Kochi: In corporate India, Diwali gifts are more than a festive gesture — they’re a ritual of goodwill. From soan papdi boxes to smartwatches, even trolley bags and kitchen appliances, the season’s gifting has become a language of recognition. But at BPCL’s bottling plant near Kochi, that language hit a snag this week — over a box of sweets.

On Tuesday morning, the movement of LPG cylinders from the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited's Ambalamugal plant came to an abrupt halt after truck drivers launched a flash strike. Their grievance? They were not included in the company’s Diwali sweet distribution.

According to workers, BPCL had distributed sweets to permanent and temporary employees at the bottling unit, but not to the drivers who ferry LPG cylinders across districts. Feeling left out, the drivers parked their vehicles and stopped work around 6 am, demanding the same festive treatment.

By 9 am, the protest had escalated. Loading workers too began leaving the premises, and for a few hours, the flow of LPG cylinders to six districts came to a standstill. The disruption worsened an already tight supply situation, as dispatches had been slow over the long holiday weekend.

The dispute was finally resolved only by the afternoon. BPCL authorities declined to comment on the incident.

What began as a missing box of sweets turned into a half-day shutdown — a small reminder of how, in the season of Diwali goodwill, even a token gesture can hold more weight than it seems.