Fears of a cooking gas shortage swept across New Delhi on Tuesday, with LPG agencies reporting a sudden surge in calls and booking requests from anxious customers.
The rush came hours after the central government invoked the Essential Commodities Act to prioritise domestic fuel supply amid disruptions linked to the widening conflict in West Asia.
Despite the spike in demand, officials at retail agencies insisted there is no shortage of LPG. However, they acknowledged that many customers are requesting prioritised cylinder delivery, suggesting a wave of precautionary bookings.
New LPG Booking Rule Sparks Concern
A representative from Atul Enterprises, located in Janata Market near Jhandewalan Temple, said the booking system is currently unable to generate slips for some customers due to the newly introduced 25-day booking interval.
“There are people who made bookings three or four days ago but we are unable to provide them cylinders because of this rule,” the representative said.
On Monday, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas confirmed that a mandatory 25-day gap between domestic LPG bookings has been introduced. The previous minimum interval was 21 days.
Officials said the move aims to prevent panic buying, hoarding and black-marketing as global supply chains face pressure from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Agencies Report Supply Gaps
Some distributors in West Delhi reported not receiving fresh stock on Tuesday.
Avinash Pandey, storekeeper at an agency in Kirti Nagar, said they usually receive about 350 cylinders daily from a supplier in Haryana, but got none that day.
“We managed with what we had from Monday. We sold about 326 cylinders today, but we don’t know what will happen,” Pandey told Hindustan Times.
Commercial establishments are facing greater uncertainty. A representative from Siddhartha Enterprises in Rajinder Nagar said the agency has stopped supplying cylinders to commercial users following official directions.
“What we are seeing is a spike in bookings among customers. Even though the government has said there will be no shortage, people want to ensure they have a cylinder in reserve,” the representative said.
Restaurants Feel The Pressure
In Vikaspuri, gas agencies said they have been inundated with calls from customers trying to secure additional cylinders.
“Restaurants know we can no longer provide them commercial cylinders, but they still enquire daily,” said Geetanjali, manager at Indane Nairs Gas Service. “Domestic consumers are also calling or visiting the agency trying to get multiple cylinders, but we tell them it’s not possible.”
Harnoor Singh, manager at Milind Gas Service, said there are reports of cylinders being sold at inflated prices in the black market — nearly double the usual rate.
A tea seller in New Friends Colony said the price of a cylinder has risen from about ₹1,100 to nearly ₹2,000.
Restaurant owners say the pressure is particularly visible in areas like Connaught Place, where piped gas supply is not available.
“For most restaurants, it is becoming difficult to offer dishes that require a lot of gas, especially since coal-based tandoors are no longer allowed,” said Varun Khera, owner of The Imperial Spice restaurant in CP.