New Delhi: In a major relief for industrial and commercial consumers, the Centre has lifted all sectoral restrictions on the supply of non-domestic packed LPG and restored supplies to pre-crisis levels following an improvement in the availability of the fuel.
The government also announced that bulk LPG supplies, which were curtailed during the West Asia crisis, would now be restored to 50% of pre-crisis consumption levels, providing significant support to commercial and industrial users.
During the crisis, the Centre had diverted C3-C4 hydrocarbon streams exclusively for LPG production under the Essential Commodities Act to ensure uninterrupted domestic cooking gas supplies. With indigenous production and LPG imports improving, the government has now decided to reduce this diversion and increase the availability of C3-C4 streams for petrochemical and other industrial sectors.
Officials said domestic LPG availability for households would remain unaffected, with indigenous production maintained at a minimum of 40,000 metric tonnes per day.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has directed oil marketing companies to continue monitoring commercial and industrial LPG consumption through a unified database for better supply management.
The government also reiterated its commitment to expanding Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connectivity and said eligible commercial consumers would be gradually shifted to PNG wherever network access is available.
The move comes as global supply conditions stabilise following disruptions caused by the West Asia conflict.
