Lok Sabha Question No. 6390 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-04-02
Subject: Availability Status of LPG Supply
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: Shri Sachithanantham R

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6390 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02 nd  April, 2026

## Availability Status of LPG Supply

6390 Shri Sachithanantham R:

## पेĚोͧलयम एवं Ĥाक ृ Ǔतक गैस मंğी

Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state:

(a) the basis on which the Government claims that there is no shortage of LPG in the country, in  view  of  reports  from  several  regions  indicating  disruption  of  services  by  restaurants, college hostels and small food establishments due to non-availability of LPG cylinders along with households long waiting periods for domestic refills;

(b)  whether  the  Government  has  received  complaints  from  consumers  and  commercial establishments regarding delays in  LPG cylinder supply despite confirmed bookings, if so, the details thereof; and

(c) the details on LPG supply, demand and pending bookings during the ongoing West Asia crisis, State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER

## पेĚोͧलयम एवं Ĥाक ृ Ǔतक गैस मंğालय मɅ राÏयमंğी ( Įी सुरेश गोपी )

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI SURESH GOPI)

(a) to (c): Before the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East on 28 February, India imported about  60  percent  of  its  LPG  consumption,  out  of  which  about  90  percent  was  transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. The ensuing crisis has impacted supplies of imported LPG in the  country.  The  Government  has  undertaken  a  series  of  proactive  measures  to  ensure stability  in  LPG  supplies  post  the  outbreak  of  the  conflict.  These  include  rapid  increase  in production of LPG by 40%, prioritization of domestic LPG consumption, diversification of import sources, dynamic stock management, and inter-regional allocation to address localized shortages.

To boost domestic production of LPG, Government, on 9th March 2026, issued directions to all  oil  refining  companies, including petrochemical complexes, that the entire output of C3 and C4 hydrocarbon streams-such as propane, butane, propylene and butenes-is utilised exclusively  for  LPG  production  and  supplied  only  to  the  Public  Sector  Oil  Marketing Companies (IOCL, HPCL and BPCL). Further, refineries were also instructed not to divert these  streams  for  manufacture  of  petrochemical  products  or  any  downstream  derivatives. OMCs have  been  directed  to  ensure  that  the  LPG  so  produced  is  supplied  exclusively  to domestic LPG consumers. As a result of these initiatives, domestic LPG production has been increased by 40 per cent.

While  domestic  LPG  supplies  have  been  prioritised,  commercial  LPG  supplies  were regulated in order to avoid hoarding & black marketing, as commercial LPG is sold over the counter. After coordinating with State Governments &  restaurant/hotel associations, Government started supplies of 20% to commercial consumers, which was further enhanced to  an  overall allocation of 50%, including 10% linked to PNG expansion reforms by State

Governments.  This  allocation  was  prioritised  for  key  sectors  such  as  restaurants,  dhabas, hotels, industrial canteens, food processing and dairy units, subsidised canteens run by State Governments  or  local  bodies,  community  kitchens,  and  5  kg  FTL  cylinders  for  migrant labourers.  From  14.03.2026  to  21.03.2026,  approximately  15,440  MT  of commercial  LPG has been uplifted across States and UTs. Additionally, educational institutions and hospitals continue  to  receive  100%  of  supplies,  accounting  for  around  50%  of  the  total  commercial LPG allocation.

In  continuation  of  these  measures,  the  Government  have  further  enhanced  allocation  of commercial LPG by an additional 20%, taking the total allocation to 70% of the pre-crisis level on 27 March (including the 10% reform-linked component). This additional allocation is being prioritised for labour-intensive and core industrial sectors , including steel, automobile,  textile,  dye,  chemicals  and  plastics,  with  preference  to  process  industries  and those requiring LPG for specialised heating purposes where substitution with natural gas is not feasible.

Entities  seeking  allocation  under  this  additional  20%  are  required  to  comply  with  existing conditions relating to registration with OMCs and application for PNG connections to CGD entities, as stipulated earlier. However, in cases where LPG is required for specialised process use that cannot be substituted by natural gas, such requirements are being waived.

While prioritizing supplies, many temporary demand management measures have also been taken in domestic LPG segment like implementation of inter-refill gap of 25 days for urban areas and 45 days for rural areas, rationalized stock management at bottling plants, etc. As a result  of  these  steps  and  large  scale  panic  booking  by  consumers,  average  waiting  period (backlog) for refill delivery has increased from 1.2 days (varying between 0.6 to 22 days) to about 5.7 days (varying between 0.8 to 16 days) as of 30.03.2026.

While  Government  &  OMCs  receive  complaints  relating  to  LPG  supplies,  Government remains alert to all these issues and continues to make efforts necessary to resolve them.

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