New Delhi: The Delhi government has amended its commercial LPG distribution policy to make it mandatory for industrial and commercial consumers to apply for a piped natural gas (PNG) connection before receiving fresh cylinder allocations, according to an order issued by the department of food, supplies and consumer affairs.
The order, dated Thursday, modifies Clause 3.4 of the policy that was updated on March 26. It states that deliveries to commercial and industrial LPG consumers “shall be permitted only where the consumer has applied/applies for a PNG connection with Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) and completed all necessary formalities, where PNG network is available as confirmed by IGL.” In areas where PNG infrastructure is not yet in place, a written declaration of intent to connect upon availability will suffice.
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OMCs required to verify compliance
Oil marketing companies (OMCs) are required to verify compliance before making supplies, and must collect documentation at least once confirming that each consumer is registered and has either applied for a PNG connection or submitted an intent application.
The order includes an exception: consumers requiring LPG alongside a PNG connection for specific needs can apply to the additional commissioner, who will decide in consultation with OMCs.
The West Asia conflict, which erupted in late February after Iran struck back following US-Israeli attacks, effectively choked the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow passage through which roughly 90% of India’s liquefied petroleum gas imports and 60% of its liquefied natural gas supplies transit.
India imports about 60% of its LPG consumption, making the disruption severe.
The central government responded by invoking orders prioritising households over commercial users, and ordering refineries to maximize LPG production. It also extended the minimum interval between household refills to curb panic buying.
Officials said the measure is designed to ease pressure on LPG supply while accelerating the shift to PNG, which is considered more reliable for bulk consumers.
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‘Apply for correct category of connection’
At a press conference on Friday, Arun Kumar Jha, additional commissioner in the food supplies and consumer affairs department, said the policy is part of a coordinated effort with the central government. He said PNG connections have surged from a daily average of 684 in February to over 2,000 in March, with plans to scale further to 3,000 per day. Delhi currently has 5.6 million domestic LPG connections.
Jha said consumers should ensure they apply for the correct category of connection. He cited the case of an old age home that ran out of LPG cylinders because it held a domestic connection rather than a non-domestic one.
On delivery timelines, Jha said the West Asia crisis triggered a sharp spike in LPG bookings — from a regular average of 150,000 to nearly 200,000. By April 1, bookings had fallen to 111,000, indicating a slowdown.
Agencies are working through a backlog, which has stretched delivery times beyond the usual two to three days, but Jha said timelines should normalise within days. He attributed persistent queues at gas agencies partly to consumers who continue to visit in person rather than booking digitally.
Milind Dumbere, joint commissioner of police (Transport), said Delhi Police is operating on three tracks: enforcement, deployment of personnel at gas agencies to prevent law and order incidents, and intelligence gathering. Twenty-seven cases have been registered in connection with hoarding and illegal diversion.
Migrant workers without regular LPG connections can obtain 5-kg cylinders on production of valid identification, Jha said. Citizens can report suspicious activity on helplines 011-23379836 and 8383824659, which will remain operational daily between 9 am and 7 pm.
