Shimla, March 25
The West Asia conflict-led LPG crisis has sent refill bookings up by 30-35 per cent this month in comparison to February, a state official said on Wednesday.
There were 9,500 LPG bookings in a single day in February, which has increased by 30-35 per cent in March, said Mohammad Amid, divisional LPG sales head of Indian Oil Corporation, attributing the rise to a shortage panic.
According to the data, 3,86,867 deliveries were made in the first 15 days of February against 4,82,341 bookings, a gap of 95,574.
However, in the first half of March, 3,16,926 deliveries were made against 6,45,388 bookings, a gap of 3,28,462.
Amid insisted that there is no shortage of domestic LPG cylinders, and all 12 districts are being catered to by plants in Baddi, Una, and Jalandhar.
He said rationing is in place for commercial LPG cylinders, with 20 per cent of demand being fulfilled, which will now be increased to 40-50 per cent.
Meanwhile, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi said supplies have been disrupted due to the conflict in West Asia and blamed India’s foreign policy for the crisis.
“The impact of strained relations with friendly nations like Iran is evident in the current situation,” he said.
Several dhaba owners have been forced to shut down their establishments; hotels and restaurants have cut their menus, he said.
The LPG squeeze has brought back ‘chulhas’ at even such hotels as Hotel Holiday Home, or HHH, the official caterer to the Vidhan Sabha.
