Govt denies LPG crisis, enhances production
The Union Government on Tuesday assured that there is no LPG crisis. Sources said cooking gas production has increased by 10 per cent across oil refineries, and all refineries are currently operating at 100 per cent capacity. The statement came a day after the minimum waiting period for booking a domestic LPG refill was raised from 21 days to 25 days following a surge in demand triggered by fears of supply disruption.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has also constituted a committee to examine the shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, after restaurant associations warned that eateries could shut down within days if supplies are not restored.
As the conflict in West Asia continues to disrupt fuel supplies globally, the Government has prioritised LPG supplies to households, leading to a supply crunch for hotels and restaurants.
Hotel and restaurant associations in several states — including West Bengal, Maharashtra, Odisha, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Pune, Delhi and Telangana — have raised alarm and sought intervention from the petroleum ministry. Earlier on Tuesday, the Union Government invoked the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 to regulate the availability, supply and equitable distribution of natural gas for priority sectors.
Meanwhile, the ministry said a panel of oil company executives will review complaints regarding shortages of commercial LPG and make fuel available to meet the needs of hotels and restaurants. “For LPG supply to other non-domestic sectors, a committee of three Executive Directors of Oil Marketing Companies has been constituted to review representations for LPG supply to restaurants, hotels and other industries,” the ministry said in a post on X.
Officials said anyone requiring commercial LPG can approach the committee, whose details have been posted online. The panel will review each case and try to meet genuine demand. However, since non-domestic LPG supply depends on imported products, not all requests may be fulfilled. Applications will be considered based on merit and product availability.
A Government notification also stated that natural gas supply to the domestic piped natural gas network, CNG for transport and LPG production will be treated as priority allocation. These sectors will receive 100 per cent of their average gas consumption over the past six months.
CNG and piped gas used in household kitchens were earlier in the “no-cut” category, meaning their supply would not be reduced even if overall availability declined. LPG has now been added to this category, ensuring that these sectors are supplied first before gas is allocated to other industries.
