LPG refill booking gap cut to 25 days for rural consumers

NEW DELHI: Government on Monday reduced the minimum gap for booking LPG refills in rural areas to 25 days from 45 days, bringing it on par with the interval for urban consumers, as LPG supplies improved and refill backlogs fell.Union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Suresh Gopi said the restriction had been imposed amid pressure on LPG supplies following the outbreak of the conflict in West Asia, with the booking interval set at 25 days in urban areas and 45 days in rural areas.“However, in view of the current LPG supply situation improving and the significant reduction in refill backlog, the central government has relaxed this restriction. Now, all domestic LPG consumers, regardless of urban or rural, can book refills at an interval of 25 days,” Gopi said in a Facebook post.Petroleum ministry issued an order to oil marketing companies IOC, BPCL and HPCL, asking them to implement the revised 25-day interval with immediate effect.To ensure uninterrupted supply of cooking gas cylinders to Indian households during the disruption caused by the West Asia conflict, govt had introduced several measures, including ramping up domestic LPG production and supplies to the commercial and industrial sectors. The restrictions were lifted in June as LPG imports improved.The move comes as a study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) found that while LPG access has expanded significantly, regular use remains low among rural households.About 73% of rural households surveyed by CEEW had used LPG in the previous 90 days, but only 23% relied on it exclusively. Half continued to use firewood as their primary cooking fuel, while only 47% of LPG users received doorstep delivery.The CEEW studies, covering more than 2,200 rural households across six states, over 1,100 households in informal settlements and more than 1,000 migrant workers across 10 cities, also found affordability to be a major barrier.About 80% of respondents across the three groups said they would shift to exclusive LPG use if a 14.2-kg cylinder cost Rs 400.Get the latest Business News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.