Domestic LPG production up 28 pc in five days, supply stable: Hardeep Puri

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday informed Parliament that domestic LPG production has increased by 28 per cent over the past five days while the average delivery time for LPG cylinders remains unchanged at around 25 days reported news agency IANSThe minister said the government has taken several measures to stabilise supply and prevent disruptions amid rising concerns over fuel availability stressing that ensuring uninterrupted LPG access for households remains the top priorityDomestic LPG supply fully protectedAddressing the House Puri said the government is focused on ensuring that kitchens of more than 33 crore Indian households particularly those belonging to economically weaker sections do not face shortages of cooking gas reported IANSldquoDomestic supply is fully protected and the standard time from booking to delivery for domestic LPG cylinders remains 25 days unchanged from precrisis normsrdquo he said reported IANSThe minister added that hospitals and educational institutions have been placed under priority supply guaranteeing uninterrupted access to LPG irrespective of broader demand pressuresPanic booking not supply shortage causing local pressurePuri said field reports indicate that the sudden surge in demand for LPG cylinders in certain areas is largely due to panic booking and hoarding rather than any real production or supply disruptionldquoThe rushbooking pressure in some localities reflects demand distortion not a production or supply failurerdquo he told Parliament reported IANSTo strengthen monitoring and prevent diversion of LPG cylinders the government is expanding the Delivery Authentication Code system Under this mechanism a cylinder delivery can only be confirmed when the consumer verifies receipt through a onetime code sent to their registered mobile numberThe coverage of this system is being increased from 50 per cent to 90 per cent of consumersBooking restrictions introduced to manage demandThe government has also introduced a minimum gap between LPG bookings as part of demand management measuresAccording to the minister consumers in urban areas must now maintain a 25day gap between bookings while a 45day gap has been introduced for rural and remote ldquodurgam kshetrardquo areas reported IANSOfficials from oil marketing companies and antiadulteration teams are also coordinating with distributors to ensure strict compliance with supply and monitoring rulesCommercial LPG supply regulated to prevent black marketingPuri clarified that restrictions placed on commercial LPG are intended to prevent black marketing rather than penalise the hospitality sectorCommercial LPG cylinders are typically sold in a deregulated market without subsidies or booking requirements However the government decided to regulate this channel temporarily to avoid diversion of cylinders to the grey marketldquoTo ensure genuine users receive supply 20 per cent of the average monthly commercial LPG requirement will be allocated through oil marketing companies in coordination with state governmentsrdquo the minister said reported IANSA threemember committee comprising executive directors from Indian Oil Corporation Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited has been formed to assess sectorwise and regional demandGovernment absorbing part of global price increasePuri said the current nonsubsidised LPG price stands at Rs 913 after a recent Rs 60 adjustment compared to an estimated marketdriven price of around Rs 987 per cylinder reported IANSOf the Rs 134 per cylinder increase required due to global market conditions the government absorbed Rs 74 to limit the burden on consumersHe added that the effective additional cost for households under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana works out to less than 80 paise per dayThe minister also noted that LPG prices in neighbouring countries remain higher with cylinders costing approximately Rs 1046 in Pakistan Rs 1242 in Sri Lanka and Rs 1208 in NepalTo support oil marketing companies facing losses due to controlled pricing the government has approved compensation of Rs 30000 crore against estimated losses of about Rs 40000 crore in the financial year 2024ndash25With inputs from IANS