New Delhi: In response to rising concerns over cooking gas availability amid tensions in West Asia, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has extended the minimum interval for LPG cylinder bookings in rural areas to 45 days, up from the earlier 25 days. The step aims to regulate demand and ensure equitable distribution of LPG across the country.
At the same time, the government has significantly increased domestic LPG production by 28% to ease supply pressure. Authorities are also diversifying fuel imports by sourcing LPG from countries such as the United States, Norway, Canada, Algeria, and Russia, reducing dependence on traditional suppliers like Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. Officials said nearly 5 million cylinders are delivered daily through about 25,000 distributors nationwide, stressing that the current surge in bookings is largely driven by public anxiety rather than an actual shortage. Consumers have been urged to avoid panic bookings and use LPG responsibly amid the global uncertainty.
