The Centre has stepped up measures to secure fuel and gas supplies amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the war in West Asia. In a statement on Sunday, the oil ministry said refineries are operating at high capacity with adequate crude inventories.
The oil ministry acknowledged that the LPG supplies have been impacted by the geopolitical situation; however, they said that the deliveries remain normal with no reported shortages.
“Daily refill deliveries exceeded 55 lakh cylinders, and measures to curb diversion have been tightened. Commercial LPG supply has been gradually restored to about 70 per cent of pre-crisis levels, with priority given to hospitality, food services and key industries,” it said.
The government has also intensified enforcement against hoarding and black marketing, conducting about 2,900 raids and seizing around 1,000 cylinders recently.
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 domestic cooking gas cylinder rose by ₹60, while the price of a 19 kg commercial cylinder increased by ₹144 in early March across major cities.
No revisions have been made since.
Price of domestic and commercial LPG in key Indian cities — full list Below is the list of prices for domestic and commercial LPG cylinders across major Indian cities.
City Domestic LPG cylinder prices Commercial LPG cylinder prices New Delhi ₹ 913 ₹ 1,884.50 Mumbai ₹ 912.50 ₹ 1,836 Kolkata ₹ 939 ₹ 1,988.50 Chennai ₹ 928.50 ₹ 2,043.50 Hyderabad ₹ 965 ₹ 2,105.50 Lucknow ₹ 950.50 ₹ 2,007 Bengaluru ₹ 915.50 ₹ 1,958 Patna ₹ 1,002.50 ₹ 2,133.50
The differences in LPG prices across the states are because of the local Value Added Tax (VAT) and freight charges.
Also Read | Govt eases kerosene rules for quick household distribution amid the LPG crunch
‘Avoid panic purchase’ The government urged citizens to avoid panic buying as sporadic rushes were reported at fuel stations, while saying that retail outlets are functioning normally, even as rumours triggered temporary spikes in demand in some states.
"There were certain rumours, which led to panic buying at some retail outlets in a few states, resulting in unusually high sales and heavy crowding at retail outlets. However, it is informed that there are adequate stocks of petrol and diesel available at all petrol pumps 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 the availability of petrol, diesel and LPG. Avoid panic purchases of petrol, diesel and booking of LPG.”
Centre relaxes kerosene rules On Sunday, the Centre said it is relaxing petroleum safety and licensing rules to allow faster distribution of kerosene to households
In an official notification, the oil ministry said that the measures would enable the ad‑hoc distribution of kerosene to households for cooking and lighting in 21 states and federal territories.
PNG push In the gas sector, supplies have been prioritised for households and transport, with 100 per cent allocation to piped natural gas (PNG) and CNG, the government said.
The expansion of city gas distribution networks is being accelerated by streamlining approvals and pushing a shift from LPG to piped natural gas (PNG), it 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 for PNG adoption.