Rural LPG consumers across India will no longer have to wait up to 45 days to book a cylinder refill. The central government has directed oil marketing companies (OMCs) to uniformly apply a 25-day refill booking interval in both urban and rural areas with immediate effect, Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism Suresh Gopi said on Monday.
Why the gap existed in the first place
The disparity dates back to supply pressure triggered by the conflict in West Asia, Gopi said in a Facebook post. During that period, the refill booking interval was set at 25 days for urban consumers but stretched to 45 days for those in rural areas, a gap intended to manage strain on LPG supply chains at the time.
What has changed, and why now
With the supply situation having since improved and the refill backlog reduced significantly, the government has moved to lift the restriction, according to the minister. Domestic LPG consumers nationwide, whether in urban or rural areas, can now book refills at the shorter 25-day interval, doing away with the earlier rural-urban distinction altogether.
Gopi's post also included a copy of the letter issued by the Petroleum Ministry directing OMCs to implement the revised booking interval immediately.
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Strait of Hormuz disruption
The original booking curbs trace back to the outbreak of the US-Israel conflict with Iran in February, which disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor for global oil and gas flows. To safeguard domestic LPG availability and pre-empt shortages stemming from the wider disruption to energy supply chains, the government invoked provisions under the Essential Commodities Act.
Commercial LPG restrictions eased earlier too
Monday's move follows a similar easing on the commercial side of the market back in June, when the government withdrew restrictions on the supply of commercial LPG. The Petroleum Ministry had then directed OMCs to restore supply of non-domestic packed LPG to levels last seen before the conflict began.
In the interim, the government had permitted commercial LPG supply of up to 50 per cent of pre-crisis consumption levels, a step intended to help industries keep operations running more smoothly through the disruption.