New Delhi: In a significant policy shift aimed at managing the country’s cooking fuel resources, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has amended the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order, 2000. Under the new guidelines issued under the Essential Commodities Act, households equipped with a Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connection are now legally barred from retaining or obtaining domestic Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders.
The revised rules, which came into effect following a gazette notification on Saturday, mandate that consumers holding both types of connections must surrender their LPG cylinders with immediate effect. To enforce this, the Ministry has directed government-run oil marketing companies and their distributors to cease all LPG refill bookings and new connection approvals for households already serviced by a PNG network. This move is designed to eliminate the duplication of benefits and ensure that LPG stocks are prioritised for rural and urban areas where piped gas infrastructure is not yet available.
This regulatory tightening arrives against the backdrop of a volatile global energy market and supply chain disruptions in West Asia, particularly affecting the Strait of Hormuz. With India importing a substantial portion of its LPG requirements, the government is shifting its focus toward promoting domestically supplied PNG to conserve cylinder stocks. Officials noted that the “Badlav” in distribution policy is essential to prevent hoarding and ensure equitable fuel access across the nation during this period of heightened geopolitical tension.
Local authorities and gas distributors have been instructed to facilitate the surrender process, while city gas entities are being urged to expedite new PNG installations for domestic and commercial users. The Ministry has also introduced a mandatory gap for LPG refills in non-PNG households to further curb panic booking and streamline the national supply chain.
