New Delhi, March 10: The government has increased the minimum waiting period for booking a domestic LPG cylinder refill from 21 days to 25 days to curb panic buying and prevent hoarding amid concerns over supply disruptions linked to tensions involving Iran.
Officials said the country currently has adequate LPG supplies, and the revised booking interval is a precautionary step aimed at managing inventory and stabilising distribution.
The move follows a 15–20% surge in LPG bookings, driven by consumer concerns that the escalating conflict in the Middle East could affect energy supply chains.
According to officials, the average household typically consumes 7–8 cylinders of 14.2 kg LPG annually, indicating that most consumers do not require refills within six weeks under normal usage patterns.
Meanwhile, authorities reiterated that petrol and diesel prices will remain unchanged for now, despite global crude oil prices crossing $100 per barrel. State-run oil marketing companies — Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited — are expected to absorb the current cost pressures temporarily.
Officials said the government is closely monitoring global oil market developments but has no immediate plan to revise retail fuel prices.
Separately, the Rajya Sabha was informed that India currently has crude oil and petroleum product storage capacity sufficient for 74 days, providing a buffer against potential supply disruptions.
Responding to a written query, Suresh Gopi, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, said the country’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves have a capacity of 5.33 million metric tonnes, sufficient to meet about 9.5 days of crude oil demand. In addition, oil marketing companies maintain storage facilities capable of covering around 64.5 days of supply, taking the total national storage capacity to 74 days.
