The LPG refill booking interval will now be the same for both urban and rural areas, the Center announced on Monday, cutting the gap for rural customers from 45 days to 25 days.
According to Suresh Gopi, Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Tourism, the restriction has been loosened due to the better LPG supply situation and a notable decrease in the refill backlog.
He shared a copy of the Petroleum Ministry’s letter to oil marketing companies (OMCs) on Facebook and said, “Now, all domestic LPG consumers, regardless of urban or rural, can book refills at an interval of 25 days.”
In a letter to the chairmen of Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum, Deputy Secretary Mohit Kumar Aggarwal of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas instructed the corporations to execute the adjustment immediately.
The differentiated timeline, which has been in effect since March, is officially terminated by the order.
Following the confrontation between the United States, Israel, and Iran in February and the ensuing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the prior restrictions, 25 days for urban regions and 45 days for rural areas, were put in place under the Essential Commodities Act.
The actions were intended to control demand and avoid shortages in the event that the global energy supply system was disrupted. Additionally, some gasses, including C3 and C4, were set aside only for the manufacturing of LPG.
The rollback was justified, according to the Ministry’s letter, by the improved supply position and significant decrease in refill backlogs when compared to the initial curb situation.
After a prolonged waiting period of over six months, the updated regulations restore parity for rural households, including many Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana recipients.
The government had previously lifted limitations on commercial LPG supply in June, enabling OMCs to return non-domestic packed LPG to pre-crisis levels and allowing delivery to industries of up to 50% of previous usage.
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