The Government has barred households with PNG connections from refilling LPG.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry announced Saturday that consumers with piped natural gas (PNG) connections can no longer get, keep, or refill domestic LPG cylinders under a new supply order amendment.
Government oil firms are now banned from issuing LPG connections or refills to anyone with existing PNG access, the ministry stated, as per a Reuters report.
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With West Asia’s war disrupting India’s LPG imports and overwhelming oil marketing companies with cylinder bookings, the government on Friday urged consumers to stay calm and book only when needed.
A senior Petroleum Ministry official assured an uninterrupted cooking gas supply to households, pushing residents near piped natural gas (PNG) areas to switch to household connections and ease LPG pressure.
The Ministry also recommended piped natural gas (PNG) for about six million households to skip LPG cylinder hassles, as panic bookings surge due to West Asia war disruptions.
The government also assured ample petrol, diesel, and cooking fuel stocks nationwide. She noted 1.5 crore households already enjoy reliable domestic PNG supply, with another 60 lakh near pipelines primed for easy connections.
Joint Secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery) at the Ministry, Sujata Sharma, said adequate petrol and diesel are available in the country, and there is currently no need for imports.
“As far as crude oil and refineries are concerned, we have a sufficient supply of crude and our refineries are operating at full capacity. There have been no reports of any dry-out at retail outlets. Adequate petrol and diesel are available,” she said.
She further stated that domestic production is meeting the country’s needs.
“We produce enough petrol and diesel in the country according to our requirements, and therefore there is no need for us to import them,” Sharma added.
On natural gas, the official said the government is encouraging commercial consumers facing disruptions in LPG supply to shift to piped natural gas (PNG) connections.
“In this direction, the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) held meetings with several CGD operators and advised them to provide immediate PNG connections to commercial consumers wherever possible,” she said.
Sharma noted that while there is no immediate shortage of LPG, the supply situation remains a matter of concern due to the prevailing geopolitical situation.
“Regarding LPG supply, I would like to say that it is still a matter of concern for us in view of the prevailing geopolitical situation. However, no dry-out has been reported,” she said.
The official also raised concerns about a sharp rise in LPG bookings, which she described as panic-driven.
“Panic booking is still happening on a very large scale. Yesterday, we informed you that the number of bookings was around 7.5-7.6 million, and now that number has increased to almost 8.8 million. So this is nothing but panic booking,” Sharma said.
The authorities also urged citizens to skip panic bookings and order LPG only when truly needed, saying it benefits everyone.
The government, after state consultations, prioritised commercial LPG supplies, now distributing cylinders across 29 states/UTs for key consumers.
(with agencies input)
