Panic LPG bookings begin in Delhi as govt’s 25-day gap rule takes effect

Fears of cooking gas shortages spread across Delhi on Tuesday, with gas agencies reporting a surge in calls from worried customers and multiple requests for cylinders, hours after the central government invoked the Essential Commodities Act to prioritise domestic supply amid disruptions linked to the widening West Asia conflict.

While officials at retailers insisted there is no supply shortage, they said customers have begun seeking priority cylinder deliveries in what appeared to be a rush, even as the government sought to reassure consumers that adequate LPG stocks are available.

A representative from Atul Enterprises in Janata Market near Jhandewalan Temple in central Delhi said the system is not generating booking slips due to the new 25-day rule. “There are people who made bookings three or four days ago but we are unable to provide them cylinders because of this rule,” he said.

On Monday, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said it had mandated a minimum 25-day gap between domestic LPG cylinder bookings, up from 21 days earlier, to curb panic buying, hoarding and black-marketing amid supply concerns tied to the ongoing conflict.

Meanwhile, some agencies in west Delhi said they did not receive fresh supplies on Tuesday. Avinash Pandey, storekeeper at a gas agency in Kirti Nagar, said they normally receive about 350 cylinders daily from a supplier in Haryana but got none on Tuesday. “We managed with what we had from Monday. We sold about 326 cylinders today but we don’t know what will happen,” he said.

Commercial establishments are facing greater uncertainty. A representative from Siddhartha Enterprises in Rajinder Nagar said the agency has stopped supplying cylinders to commercial users following government directions. “What we are seeing is a spike in bookings among customers. Even though the government has said there will be no shortage, people want to ensure they have a cylinder in reserve,” he added.

In Vikaspuri, agencies reported being flooded with calls. “Restaurants know we can no longer provide them commercial cylinders, but they still enquire daily. Domestic consumers are coming and calling us to try and get multiple cylinders but we tell them it’s not possible,” said Geetanjali, manager at Indane Nairs Gas Service.

Harnoor Singh, manager at Milind Gas Service, said they had heard of cylinders being sold on the black market at nearly double the price. A tea seller from New Friends Colony said prices had risen from ₹1,100 to around ₹2,000.

Restaurant owners said the situation is becoming tense in areas such as Connaught Place where piped gas is not available and no additional cylinders are arriving. “For most restaurants, it is getting difficult to offer items that take up a lot of gas, especially with coal tandoors no longer allowed,” said Varun Khera, owner of The Imperial Spice.