Jaipur: The Centre has increased Rajasthan’s allocation of commercial LPG by 10% after a request from the state govt, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said Thursday, as concerns grow over the evolving situation in West Asia.At an all-party meeting at the CMO, Sharma said petrol, diesel, gas and fertilizers are available in adequate quantities in the state and urged people not to panic. He said govt has strengthened systems to ensure uninterrupted supply and reduce public inconvenience. Sharma also thanked PM Modi for approving the additional LPG allocation.The meeting, called to review the LPG and petrol situation amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, saw opposition parties demand transparency on LPG cylinder and fuel stocks and insist that petrol and diesel prices should not be raised under any circumstances.Sources said govt told MLAs that Rajasthan is facing a gap between LPG demand and supply with daily bookings, which were above 5 lakh cylinders a few days ago, falling to around 2.7 lakh, and supply at about 2.3 lakh cylinders a day. Govt also said Rajasthan is estimated to have LPG stocks for five days, which prompted concerns over possible shortages if demand rises.Key suggestions from opposition MLAs included regular district-level monitoring of gas and oil distribution, faster expansion of PNG network, and contingency plans through alternative arrangements.Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully assured the govt of full cooperation during the crisis and said opposition would stand with both public and administration. However, he discouraged an increase in petrol and diesel prices, arguing that the govt and oil companies which benefiteded from low crude prices earlier should now absorb the impact by cutting taxes and special cess.Jully said any fuel price hike could fuel inflation, hit the common man hard and weaken the wider economy. He also asked govt to prevent panic by making real-time data on demand, supply and stock of essential commodities public.RLD MLA Subhash Garg called for higher commercial LPG supply for businesses, factories, hostels and educational institutions. Jully also flagged shortage of gas cylinders, questioned delays in approvals and NOCs for PNG projects and sought accountability and action against officials responsible for holding up the processes.The CM, meanwhile, said the state has been reviewing stock positions and supply chains continuously. He also said a high-level state committee has been set up for monitoring, while district-level teams of administrative and police officials have been tasked with vigilance.Sharma also said the Union govt and Rajasthan are working together to ensure timely supply of urea and DAP to farmers and urged people to report hoarding and black marketing of LPG. Food minister Sumit Godara said OTP-based delivery of domestic LPG has been made mandatory to improve transparency.
