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New Delhi, India March 25: The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas on Wednesday dismissed widespread news reports and social media claims suggesting changes in LPG refill booking timelines, asserting that the existing system remains fully unchanged.In an official statement, the Ministry clarified that claims of revised timelines—45 days for PMUY connections, 25 days for non-PMUY single-bottle connections, and 35 days for non-PMUY double-bottle connections—are “false and factually incorrect.”
“It is clarified that no such changes have been made. The existing refill booking timelines remain unchanged and continue to be,” the Ministry stated.As per current norms, LPG refill booking intervals remain fixed at 25 days in urban areas and 45 days in rural areas, irrespective of the type of LPG connection.
The Ministry urged citizens not to be influenced by misinformation and appealed to the public to avoid unnecessary or panic bookings, noting that adequate LPG stocks are available nationwide.
Refineries Running at High Capacity
Addressing an Inter-Ministerial Briefing on Recent Developments in West Asia, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry, affirmed that India’s fuel supply chain remains stable and fully functional.“All refineries are operating at high capacity with adequate crude inventories. We have sufficient stock of petrol and diesel. The domestic production of LPG has been stepped up,” she said.
Sharma also acknowledged instances of panic buying triggered by rumours but clarified that oil marketing companies and state authorities had already issued necessary advisories to reassure the public.“We have more than 1 lakh retail outlets, and operations are normal across all of them,” she added.
PNGRB Pushes for Faster PNG Connections
Sharma highlighted a major push toward expanding Piped Natural Gas (PNG) coverage. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board has ordered City Gas Distribution (CGD) entities to provide PNG connections to residential schools, colleges, hostels, community kitchens, and Anganwadi centres within five days wherever nearby pipeline infrastructure exists.
On Tuesday alone, around 7,500 new domestic and commercial PNG connections were provided across 110 geographical areas. Sharma said nearly 60 lakh households are eligible for PNG connections and urged citizens to adopt the safer and convenient facility.
LPG Supply Stable Despite Global Uncertainty
Acknowledging global geopolitical pressures, Sharma assured that the LPG supply chain remains secure.“Several LPG cargoes are already lined up. No dry-out has been reported at any distributorship. Even though some panic booking was observed yesterday, deliveries remained normal,” she stated.
The government recently increased commercial LPG allocation to about 50% of sectoral demand, prioritizing restaurants, dhabas, hotels, industrial kitchens, food processing units, dairies, community kitchens and migrant labour needs.Under the Ujjwala scheme, 11 lakh migrant workers have been provided LPG connections, with 20,000 five-kg cylinders distributed on Tuesday alone.
Crackdown on Illegal Activities IntensifiedTo maintain market discipline, the Centre has directed states to strengthen enforcement mechanisms.
Control rooms and district-level monitoring committees have been established in 32 states, leading to:3,400 raids conducted on Tuesday1,000 cylinders seized
Enforcement operations across Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Telangana
In parallel, oil marketing companies conducted 1,500 surprise inspections, resulting in:642 FIRs filed155 arrests
Show-cause notices to 250 distributors, with several facing suspension
Sharma reiterated her appeal to the public:“Do not trust rumours. There are sufficient stocks available, and there is stable supply of petrol, diesel, and LPG across the country.”
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