The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on Wednesday assured the public that panic booking of LPG is unnecessary as the standard delivery period for households remains at 2.5 days. Official measures have successfully increased LPG production by 25%, the ministry noted.
The ministry went on to say that oil is currently being sourced via routes that avoid the Strait of Hormuz, with secured supplies now exceeding the volumes originally affected by the disruptions.
Due to the widening conflict in West Asia, which accounts for 30% of India’s gas imports, the petroleum ministry issued a gazette notification ordering the diversion of available gas from non-essential sectors to critical users. On March 9, the ministry directed refiners to prioritize LPG production by reducing petrochemical flows and adjusted the window for booking replenishment to 25 days, from 21.
“In light of the current geopolitical fuel supply disruptions and LPG supply constraints, the ministry has issued orders to oil refineries to produce more LPG and utilize this excess production for domestic LPG use,” the ministry said in a post on X social media.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa said on Wednesday that there was no reason to worry about the supply. He noted that oil providers guaranteed a minimum of 1 cylinder per household per month. He emphasized that commercial gas would be prioritized for vital services such as student dormitories and hospitals, while calling on convention centers and hotels to cooperate.
Politically, some Congress leaders and ministers sought to hold the central government accountable for the shortage, while the BJP criticized the ruling party for “politicizing” the crisis caused by US-Iran tensions.
“Due to the US-Iran war, vessels are not sailing, it has been stopped. Together with our secretary and commissioner, I arranged a meeting with the oil companies – BPCL, HPCL, Indian Oil and GAIL. There is no problem with domestic gas; one cylinder will last a family for at least 25 days and it will be delivered. They say there will be an option to supply more cylinders if the war stops Muni.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee also criticized the Center on Wednesday for restricting supplies. She alleged that the Union government imposed the restrictions without first ensuring adequate supplies of cooking oil and gas. In an interview with ABP, Ananda Banerjee argued that the government should have finalized these reserves before introducing “measures that have created anxiety among consumers”.
“The central government should have first ensured adequate supplies of LPG, oil and gas. Without that, it has imposed restrictions without proper planning to address the situation,” she said.
