The center stepped up measures to secure fuel and gas supplies during the closure of the Strait of Hormuz after the war in West Asia. In a statement on Sunday, the oil ministry said refineries were operating at high capacity with adequate oil reserves.
The Petroleum Ministry acknowledged that LPG supplies were affected by the geopolitical situation; however, they said supplies remain normal, with no shortages reported.
“Daily supply of refills has exceeded 55,000,000 cylinders and measures to limit diversion have been tightened. Commercial LPG supplies have been gradually restored to around 70 percent of pre-crisis levels, with hospitality, food service and key industries being prioritized,” it said.
The government has also stepped up enforcement of hoarding and black marketing, recently conducting about 2,900 raids and seizing about 1,000 bottles.
Read also | No LPG drying up, ‘adequate’ petrol and diesel supplies amid war in West Asia: Update
Change in LPG prices:
The government has hiked the cost of both domestic and commercial LPG cylinders amid supply disruptions. The price of a 14.2 kg gas cylinder for home cooking has increased ₹60, while the price of 19 kg commercial cylinder increased by ₹144 in early March in major cities.
No revisions have been made since then.
Domestic and Commercial LPG Price in Key Indian Cities — Complete List
Below is a list of domestic and commercial LPG cylinder prices in major Indian cities.
CityPrices of Domestic LPG CylindersPrices of Commercial LPG CylindersNew Delhi ₹913 ₹1,884.50 Bombay ₹912.50 ₹1 836 Calcutta ₹939 ₹1,988.50 chennai ₹928.50 ₹2,043.50 Hyderabad ₹965 ₹2,105.50 Lucknow ₹950.50 ₹2007 Bengaluru ₹915.50 ₹1 958 Patna ₹1,002.50 ₹2,133.50
Differences in LPG prices across states are due to local value added tax (VAT) and transport charges.
Read also | Government relaxes kerosene rules for quick distribution to households amid LPG crisis
“Avoid panic buying”
The government urged citizens to avoid panic buying as sporadic surges were reported at petrol stations, while saying retail outlets were operating normally, although the rumors caused temporary spikes in demand in some states.
“There have been certain rumors which have led to panic buying at some retail outlets in several states, resulting in unusually high sales and heavy crowding at retail outlets. However, it is reported that adequate supplies of petrol and diesel are available at all petrol stations in the country,” it said.
“The government reiterates its advice to the public not to believe rumours,” the statement said. “Government is making all efforts to ensure availability of petrol, diesel and LPG. Avoid panic buying of petrol, diesel and LPG bookings.”
Center relaxes kerosene rules
On Sunday, the Center said it was relaxing oil safety and licensing rules to allow faster distribution of kerosene to households.
In an official notification, the petroleum ministry said the measure will enable ad-hoc distribution of kerosene to households for cooking and lighting in 21 states and federal territories.
Read also | PNG vs LPG: How do the two differ? Answers to key questions
PNG push
In the gas sector, domestic and transport supplies were prioritized, with 100 per cent allocated to piped natural gas (PNG) and CNG, the government said.
The expansion of urban gas distribution networks is being accelerated by streamlining approvals and shifting from LPG to piped natural gas (PNG), she added.
More than 2,90,000 new (PNG) gas connections were added in March, while companies including Indraprastha Gas, Mahanagar Gas, GAIL Gas and BPCL are offering incentives to adopt PNG.
Last week, the center said domestic Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supplies would be cut off if consumers did not switch to PNG despite availability.
