Damini Sharma & Manjari Verma
The North News
Chandigarh, March 16
Punjab-based LPG distributors have alleged an “inadequate” supply of cooking gas, contradicting government and oil company claims of sufficient availability, and have urged authorities to increase supplies to clear a growing backlog.
Speaking to reporters at Chandigarh Press Club on Tuesday, Federation of LPG Distributors of Punjab president Gurpal Singh Mann said distributors across the state were struggling to meet demand despite official assurances. He said a recent hike in LPG prices — Rs 60 for domestic cylinders and Rs 115 for commercial cylinders — had triggered panic among consumers, many of whom feared a supply crunch.
Mann said the situation was worsened by what he described as “discriminatory” booking restrictions, under which urban consumers can place orders only once every 25 days and rural consumers once every 45 days.
“If there is no shortage, as being officially stated, such restrictive measures are difficult to justify,” he said.
He also said the temporary suspension of LPG booking channels for three to four days had added to confusion, leaving distributors under pressure from customers without clear guidance.
According to the federation, the disruption has led to a sharp rise in pending bookings, while supplies from bottling plants remain too low to meet existing demand.
The association said the gap between official claims and the situation on the ground was damaging public trust, with sudden price increases, booking restrictions and system suspensions fuelling fears of scarcity similar to those seen during the Covid-19 period.
Mann also said distributors had not been given timely information on supply schedules or policy decisions, making it difficult for them to respond to consumer concerns.
Punjab has around 980 LPG distributors serving about 9.6 million customers, he added
