Panic LPG bookings near 88 lakh; supply to commercial users assured, government steps up monitoring
Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said the Centre is closely monitoring the situation and has made arrangements to ensure uninterrupted availability of LPG, especially for industries and commercial establishments.
- Mar 14, 2026,
- Updated Mar 14, 2026 4:36 PM IST
Panic booking of LPG cylinders has surged to nearly 88 lakh amid concerns over global supply disruptions, but the government has assured that both domestic and commercial consumers will continue to receive adequate supply of cooking gas.
Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said the Centre is closely monitoring the situation and has made arrangements to ensure uninterrupted availability of LPG, especially for industries and commercial establishments.
Addressing a briefing, Sharma said the government has held extensive discussions on the supply of commercial LPG cylinders and steps have been taken to maintain distribution to bulk consumers. In some states, commercial cylinders are being directly supplied to industries to meet their operational requirements.
She said that despite the surge in bookings by household consumers, there is no immediate shortage, and oil marketing companies have increased domestic production to strengthen supply. According to the government, domestic production by oil marketing companies has been ramped up to about 31% to reduce pressure on imports.
Officials also said enforcement action has been intensified to prevent hoarding and black marketing of cooking gas cylinders. Authorities are conducting raids and surprise inspections in several states to ensure fair distribution and prevent misuse of domestic LPG.
The government has appealed to household consumers to avoid panic booking and to use digital applications for cylinder booking so that supply can be managed efficiently. Consumers who have access to piped natural gas have also been advised to use PNG wherever possible to reduce pressure on LPG demand.
Sharma added that a recent order by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) allowing the use of alternative fuels for a limited period of one month will help ease demand for LPG in certain sectors.
The government said the situation remains under control, but it will continue to review supply conditions regularly in view of global uncertainties affecting fuel markets.
Panic booking of LPG cylinders has surged to nearly 88 lakh amid concerns over global supply disruptions, but the government has assured that both domestic and commercial consumers will continue to receive adequate supply of cooking gas.
Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said the Centre is closely monitoring the situation and has made arrangements to ensure uninterrupted availability of LPG, especially for industries and commercial establishments.
Addressing a briefing, Sharma said the government has held extensive discussions on the supply of commercial LPG cylinders and steps have been taken to maintain distribution to bulk consumers. In some states, commercial cylinders are being directly supplied to industries to meet their operational requirements.
She said that despite the surge in bookings by household consumers, there is no immediate shortage, and oil marketing companies have increased domestic production to strengthen supply. According to the government, domestic production by oil marketing companies has been ramped up to about 31% to reduce pressure on imports.
Officials also said enforcement action has been intensified to prevent hoarding and black marketing of cooking gas cylinders. Authorities are conducting raids and surprise inspections in several states to ensure fair distribution and prevent misuse of domestic LPG.
The government has appealed to household consumers to avoid panic booking and to use digital applications for cylinder booking so that supply can be managed efficiently. Consumers who have access to piped natural gas have also been advised to use PNG wherever possible to reduce pressure on LPG demand.
Sharma added that a recent order by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) allowing the use of alternative fuels for a limited period of one month will help ease demand for LPG in certain sectors.
The government said the situation remains under control, but it will continue to review supply conditions regularly in view of global uncertainties affecting fuel markets.