Government urges PNG use; assures LPG availability amid demand surge

NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has advised consumers who already have Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections to refrain from using LPG cylinders to help manage demand. The ministry has also requested state governments to expedite permissions for laying pipelines to facilitate new PNG connections. Although approximately 60 lakh families have access to PNG infrastructure, many have not yet activated their supply; these households are urged to switch to PNG immediately. This initiative aims to conserve LPG cylinders for consumers who do not have access to piped gas. Union Petroleum Ministry Joint Secretary Sujata Sharma reiterated that while India is self-sufficient in petrol and diesel production and does not need to import these fuels, the LPG supply chain remains a focus of government efforts due to global volatility.

Oil marketing companies have reported that there are no instances of "dry outs" across the country’s 100,000 retail outlets and 25,000 LPG distribution centres. However, due to public anxiety, daily cylinder bookings surged from 55.7 lakh to 76 lakh on Thursday. Companies are currently distributing 50 lakh cylinders daily. To curb hoarding and black marketing, the government has extended the minimum refill booking gap to 25 days, and officials are conducting spot checks at dealer and distributor godowns to ensure smooth and equitable distribution.