The government has reduced the mandatory LPG refill booking interval for rural households from 45 days to 25 days.
With supply conditions improving, the same 25-day booking rule will now apply to both urban and rural domestic consumers.
Highlights
- Rural LPG refill booking interval cut from 45 days to 25 days.
- Urban and rural consumers will now follow the same 25-day rule.
- Earlier, rural customers had to wait 45 days between refill bookings.
The central government has changed LPG refill booking rules, reducing the mandatory waiting period for rural domestic consumers from 45 days to 25 days. With this change, both urban and rural LPG customers will now be able to book their next refill after an interval of 25 days.
Minister of State Suresh Gopi announced the change, saying the restriction was being relaxed following an improvement in the LPG supply situation and a significant reduction in the refill backlog.
Earlier, domestic LPG consumers in urban areas were allowed to book a refill after 25 days, while those in rural areas had to wait for 45 days. The different booking intervals had been introduced amid pressure on LPG supplies due to disruptions linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
According to the report, the government has now decided to introduce a uniform rule as supply conditions have improved. The Petroleum Ministry has also asked Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to implement the revised booking interval immediately.
The decision is expected to particularly help rural households that consume LPG at a faster rate and previously had to wait considerably longer to order another cylinder.
The government had earlier taken several measures to manage LPG availability amid disruptions in global energy supply chains. Restrictions had also been imposed on commercial LPG supplies to ensure adequate availability for domestic consumers.
As the supply situation improved, restrictions on commercial LPG began to be relaxed. In June, OMCs were asked to restore the supply of non-domestic packed LPG towards normal levels.
Global energy disruptions had also put pressure on domestic LPG prices. According to the report, the price of a 14.2-kg domestic LPG cylinder in Delhi reached Rs 942 after price increases earlier in the year.
The latest relaxation indicates an improvement in domestic LPG availability and removes the longer waiting period that had applied specifically to rural consume.
