Lok Sabha Question No. 3332 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-12
Subject: LPG Distribution Network in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: Shri Mani A

3332. Shri Mani A:

## पेůोिलयम एवं ÿाक ृ ितक गैस मंýी

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

- (a) the details of total number of LPG distributors functioning in Tamil Nadu during the last three years along with the number of licensed distribution agencies per district, district-wise;
- (b)  whether  the  Government has  the  details  of the  number  of  LPG distributors  serving  the Dharmapuri Parliamentary Constituency and the coverage of LPG connection delivery points within the constituency, if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  any  gaps  or  underserved  areas  have  been  identified  in  Dharmapuri  where residents face delays or difficulty in accessing LPG distributors and refills, if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  has  received  any  specific  grievances  relating  to  LPG  supply, distributor accessibility, delivery logistics or safety compliance in Dharmapuri Constituency, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether targeted measures are proposed to strengthen LPG distribution networks, improve service  delivery  and  ensure  equitable  access  for  all  households  in  Dharmapuri  and  across Tamil Nadu, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

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

(a) to (e): As of 01.03.2026, there are a total of 25,605 LPG distributorships operating across the  country  including  1,658  in  State  of  Tamil  Nadu.  These  are  served  through  214  LPG bottling plants of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) located across the country. In order to improve  access  of  LPG  in  rural  and  remote  areas,  OMCs  have  commissioned  8037 distributorships, during 01.04.2016 to 28.02.2026 across the country, out of which 7444 (i.e. 93  %) are catering  to  rural areas.  The  details  of  no.  of  LPG  distributorship  in  the  state  of Tamil Nadu during last three years and the current year are as below:

| Date (As on)                          |   01.04.2023 |   01.04.2024 |   01.04.2025 |   01.03.2026 |
|---------------------------------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
| No. of LPG Distributors in Tamil Nadu |         1638 |         1642 |         1651 |         1658 |

Source: IOCL on behalf of PSU OMCs

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3332 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12 th March, 2026

## LPG Distribution Network in Tamil Nadu

The district-wise details of number of LPG distributors available in state of Tamil Nadu are at Annexure -A.

Dharmapuri Parliamentary Constituency covers Dharmapuri and Salem districts and is served by  a  total  of  110  LPG  distributors  of  Public  Sector  Oil  Marketing  Companies  (OMCs) including 88 rural (Rurban, Gramin & Durgam Kshetriya Vitrak (DKV)) distributors.

To  further  improve  last-mile  delivery  in  remote  and  underserved  habitations,  OMCs  have taken several measures, including commissioning of rural and remote-area distributorships, appointment of Common Service Center - Village Level Entrepreneur (CSC VLEs), use of technology for order booking and tracking. OMCs have 58 numbers of CSC VLEs in these aforesaid 02 districts to ensure the last mile availability of LPG.

To  enhance  consumer  empowerment  and  improve  service  transparency,  IVRS/SMS  refill booking system has been implemented across the Country in all LPG distributorships. Under this system, consumers receive SMS notifications at key stages - refill booking, cash memo generation, and refill delivery -which allows them to track their transactions and report any cases  of  wrong  or  non-delivery.  In  addition,  Oil  Marketing  Companies  (OMCs)  have introduced the Delivery Authentication Code (DAC). This code is sent to the consumer via SMS upon cash memo generation and is required to be shared with the delivery personnel at the time of delivery, thereby ensuring delivery authentication.

As a result of these efforts, the average refill delivery time during the current Financial Year (Apr'25-Feb'26) in these districts has been reported as less than 1.5 days.

During  financial  year  2024-25,  a  total  no.of  884  refill  supply  related  complaints  were received in Dharmapuri and Salem districts of the Dharmapuri Parliamentary Constituency and all the complaints were resolved within the stipulated time.

The grievance redressal system for all LPG consumers has been gradually strengthened and improved  over  time  to  enhance  consumer  experience  and  service  quality.  Now  LPG consumers can lodge their grievances/complaints using any of the following methods-

1.  Toll  free  helpline-  A  dedicated  toll-free  helpline  (1800  2333  555)  is  available  for consumers to lodge their queries, including subsidy-related issues.

2. OMCs' official websites and Mobile Applications
3. Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS)
4.  Chatbots,  WhatsApp,  Social  media  handles  (Twitter,  Facebook,  Instagram)  including MoPNG eSEVA
5. 1906: Dedicated helpline for LPG accidents/leakages
6. Lodging Complaints directly at the distributor office

In  case  of  online  complaints  consumers  have  an  option  to  provide  their  feedback  on complaint resolution. If a consumer is not satisfied with the resolution provided, they have the option to reopen the query for further review.

******

Annexure referred to part (a) to (e)of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3332 to be answered on 12.03.2026 regarding 'LPG Distribution Network in Tamil Nadu' asked by Shri Mani A.

District-wise, number of LPG Distributorships in Tamil Nadu (As on 01.03.2026)

| District Name   |   No. of LPG Distributors |
|-----------------|---------------------------|
| ARIYALUR        |                        16 |
| COIMBATORE      |                        92 |
| KANNIYAKUMARI   |                        34 |
| CHENNAI         |                       106 |
| MADURAI         |                        69 |
| THE NILGIRIS    |                        20 |
| VELLORE         |                        36 |
| PUDUKKOTTAI     |                        33 |
| RAMANATHAPURAM  |                        30 |
| SALEM           |                        77 |
| DHARMAPURI      |                        33 |
| THANJAVUR       |                        44 |
| TIRUCHIRAPPALLI |                        69 |
| THIRUVALLUR     |                        78 |
| TIRUVANNAMALAI  |                        57 |
| CUDDALORE       |                        52 |
| VILLUPURAM      |                        38 |
| KANCHIPURAM     |                        27 |
| PERAMBALUR      |                        19 |
| TUTICORIN       |                        46 |
| TIRUNELVELI     |                        41 |
| VIRUDHUNAGAR    |                        45 |
| THENI           |                        27 |
| DINDIGUL        |                        44 |
| SIVAGANGA       |                        29 |
| KARUR           |                        31 |
| THIRUVARUR      |                        27 |
| NAGAPATTINAM    |                        16 |
| ERODE           |                        65 |
| NAMAKKAL        |                        45 |
| KRISHNAGIRI     |                        41 |
| TIRUPPUR        |                        73 |
| CHENGALPATTU    |                        61 |
| KALLAKURICHI    |                        29 |
| TIRUPATHUR      |                        26 |
| RANIPET         |                        38 |
| TENKASI         |                        29 |
| MAYILADUTHURAI  |                        15 |
| Total           |                      1658 |

Source: IOCL on behalf of PSU OMCs