Centre boosts LPG supply amid crisis | Fusion - WeRIndia

As fuel shortages strain daily life, the government has moved to ease pressure by increasing LPG distribution across states.

Starting March 23, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has directed states to raise supply levels by 20%, bringing total allocation to 50% of pre-crisis availability.

Following instructions from Neeraj Mittal, states and Union Territories have been asked to ensure smooth and fair LPG distribution.

Priority will be given to key food service providers, including community kitchens, restaurants, dhabas, hotels, and industrial canteens.

This move is intended to support uninterrupted food services and ensure that people continue to have access to essential meals.

The “pre-crisis level” refers to supply conditions before the recent global tensions disrupted energy flows.

The crisis has largely stemmed from the US-Israel-Iran conflict, which has severely impacted crude oil and gas supplies from the Middle East.

As a result, LPG availability dropped, and commercial usage was restricted to safeguard household consumption.

However, with the revised allocation, sectors like food processing and dairy production will also receive relief.

Additionally, government-run canteens and subsidised food outlets have been included in the priority list. This ensures that affordable meals remain accessible to the public.

A key focus of the directive is migrant workers. States have been instructed to supply 5-kg Free Trade LPG cylinders to this group.

This measure addresses the cooking fuel needs of those who often lack access to regular domestic connections.

At the same time, authorities must prevent black-marketing and misuse of the increased supply.

This arrangement will continue until further notice. Currently, LPG supply remains at 50% of normal levels, reflecting ongoing constraints.

Meanwhile, the government is closely monitoring the situation to manage distribution effectively.

Its primary aim is to gradually restore full LPG availability to 100% once global supply conditions improve and stabilise.

Image Credit: Ssumesh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Image Reference: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:17_ton_LPG_Tank_Truck.jpg