Gujarat hikes weekly LPG supply by 20%

Amid concerns over LPG distribution in the state, the Gujarat government has ramped up their weekly supply by 20 per cent, said additional chiefsecretary (food, civil supplies and consumer affairs) Mona Khandhar on Monday.

Addressing a press conference at the Vidhan Sabha inGandhinagar, Khandhar said that there was sufficient supply of domestic LPG cylinders available in Gujarat and that the government was prioritising conversion of LPG to Piped Natural Gas (PNG).

“All arrangements are being made by the state government in constant coordination with the central government.

Sufficient PNG is available in the state for domestic and commercial purposes.

There is sufficient LPG stock, and we have enough buffer stock, too.

We are already making 20 per cent more supply of LPG… we have allowed 20 per cent supply for commercial use to cover essential and semi-essential sectors,” the ACS said.

The state government has deployed revenue and police personnel for strict supervision and monitoring in all public sector and private gas agencies of the state, she said.

“More than 1,000 gas agencies are being monitored.

We have seized illegal stock wherever we found them and imposed fines,” she added.

In the last 12 days, 912 cases have been investigated at the district-level and 17 cases at the state level, the official said.

“Hospitals and educational institutes—be it private or government—are getting 100 per cent LPG supply.

Social organisations such as old-age homes and orphanages supply are being provided with LPG cylinders too.

Full supply is being ensured to schemes concerning food.”
“To new sectors added to essential sectors such as pharma, dairy, seed processing industry, airlines and railway canteens, commercial LPG connections can be provided up to 70 per cent of normal supply in areas where PNG is not available.”
Adding that the central government had directed converting LPG into PNG connections, she said that a robust PNG network was readily available.

“All hotels and restaurants in the state can avail PNG connections… We have directed collectors and supply officers to coordinate with city gas distribution companies for LPG to PNG conversion or to facilitate new connections.”
Semi-essential sectors, including restaurants, roadside eateries, hotels, corporate and industrial canteens, corporate guest houses and food processing units, can receive commercial LPG within a 10 per cent limit where PNG networks are unavailable.

Religious institutions that have been serving daily meals for at least a year will also be eligible for commercial LPG refilling within a 10 per cent limit in places without PNG coverage, she added.

The Gujarat government has also asked consumers who have both LPG and PNG connections to surrender their LPG connection by Wednesday as part of the ongoing rationalisation of supply.

The central government has allocated kerosene to states as a supplementary fuel, and the stock is meant only for the rural areas, she said.

According to the official, Gujarat has been allotted 1,452 kilolitres of kerosene, which has been distributed among districts with a cap of 36,000 litres each.

The fuel will be supplied based on need – up to five litres per household and 25 litres for institutions in rural areas.

She noted that Gujarat had become a kerosene-free state in 2022, and the present allocation is meant only as an additional measure alongside LPG, not as a replacement.

“To ensure uninterrupted LPG supply according to entitlement, the government has deployed one revenue department employee and one police personnel at each gas agency to enforce guidelines announced by both state and Central governments,” she said.

Authorities have also allowed LPG delivery vans, which earlier had permission to enter certain cities only at night, to operate during the day as well, to speed up distribution.

Monitoring teams from district administrations and the state government have inspected more than 1,000 LPG agencies so far, and stocks have been seized, and punitive action taken in case of irregularities, she said.

A dedicated helpline, 1800 233 0222, has also been set up for consumers facing LPG-related issues.

India imports around 88 per cent of its crude oil, 50 per cent of its natural gas and 60 per cent of its LPG needs.

Before the US-Israel strikes on Iran on February 28 and Tehran’s retaliation, more than half of India’s crude imports, about 30 per cent of gas and 85-90 per cent of LPG imports came from West Asian countries, such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The conflict has led to a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the main transit route for Gulf energy supplies.

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