Consumers across the country continue to wait for new cylinder connections of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) as supplies remain uncertain due to the episodic flare-ups in the West Asia conflict.
Distributors in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Chennai said they have not issued any new connections for the 14.2 kg cylinders meant for domestic consumers since mid-March. Before the West Asia conflict, India imported 60% of its LPG requirement of which 90% transited through the Strait of Hormuz. At present, India imports 67% of its LPG requirement from the United States, which is a longer voyage away than the earlier sources in West Asia.
In a social media response addressing the concern, the Union Petroleum Ministry’s grievance redressal platform said, “Due to the prevailing geopolitical situation, issuance of new LPG connections is temporarily on hold. At present, distributors are prioritizing refill supplies for existing consumers to ensure uninterrupted essential services. Several distributors across the country have suggested that waiting consumers avail the free trade five-kg (FTL) cylinders and the ten-kg composite cylinders as a temporary measure. At present, demand for these smaller cylinders varies across the five metro cities. Amidst the disruption, India augmented its domestic production to offset the impact of lower imports. With the episodic flare-up of tensions in West Asia, however, distributors have not got the go-ahead to issue new connections.
