Kamal Ghorui
The ministry of petroleum and natural gas on Tuesday directed states and Union territories to double the daily supply of 5-kg Free Trade LPG (FTL) cylinders meant for migrant labourers, even as the Centre said the overall LPG supply situation in the country remains stable and under control.In a letter to all chief secretaries, petroleum secretary Neeraj Mittal said the additional cylinders would be distributed exclusively to migrant labourers in the respective states with the support of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).The move follows an assessment showing that average daily supply during March 2-3, 2026 had crossed the 20 per cent cap set in an earlier communication issued on March 21, 2026.
States told to oversee targeted distribution with OMC support
Mittal said state governments and their Food and Civil Supplies Departments would supervise the distribution process to ensure the extra 5-kg cylinders reach intended beneficiaries efficiently.The measure is aimed at improving access to cooking fuel for migrant workers during periods of elevated demand.The directive comes after a high-level review meeting chaired by the Petroleum Secretary with state officials, where the Centre stressed the need to maintain adequate LPG supply across the country. States were asked to prioritise LPG distribution, especially for domestic and essential needs, while keeping strict watch against hoarding, diversion and misinformation.On concerns around FTL LPG for migrant workers, states told the Centre there was no disruption in supply affecting migrants and that availability remained stable, news agency ANI reported. The secretary had also said states could consider targeted distribution of 5-kg FTL cylinders based on local needs in coordination with OMCs.
Government says no dry-outs at petrol pumps or LPG distributors
At an inter-ministerial briefing on developments in Middle East, Sujata Sharma, joint secretary in the petroleum ministry, dismissed reports of any LPG shortage and said no “dryout” had been reported at petrol pumps or LPG distributorships anywhere in the country.“…No dryout has been reported in LPG distributor ships, all the petrol pumps are operating normally… No dryout has been reported in the petrol pumps also…6500 tonnes of commercial LPG sold yesterday…1300 awareness camps have been organised by the oil marketing companies for the past four days… Companies have sold 10,005 cylinders… The awareness camps aim to provide information on the availability of 5 kg cylinders to consumers,” Sharma said.Sharma said 6,500 tonnes of commercial LPG were sold on Monday to meet ongoing demand. She also said all petrol pumps across the country were functioning normally.
6.75 lakh 5-kg cylinders sold since March 23, online bookings at 97%
According to the ministry, around 6.75 lakh 5-kg Free Trade LPG cylinders have been sold across the country since March 23, indicating stable and improving supply.The ministry said PSU oil marketing companies had organised about 550 awareness camps across states for 5-kg FTL cylinders, where more than 6,700 cylinders were sold. However, Sharma said at Tuesday’s briefing that OMCs had conducted 1,300 awareness camps over the last four days, during which 10,005 cylinders were sold.Online LPG bookings have risen to about 97 per cent across the industry, while Delivery Authentication Code (DAC)-based deliveries have climbed to around 90 per cent to curb diversion of cylinders.Domestic LPG supplies to households have remained normal, with more than 18 crore cylinders delivered since March 1, the ministry said, urging people not to believe rumours or misinformation about shortages.
