The Centre has directed oil marketing companies (OMCs) to immediately adopt a uniform 25-day interval for domestic LPG refill bookings across the country,
Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism Suresh Gopi said on Monday. This means that LPG consumers in rural areas, who were earlier required to wait longer between refill bookings, will now be allowed to book their next cylinder after 25 days, bringing them on par with consumers in urban locations. Union Minister announced the change in a Facebook post, citing an improvement in the domestic LPG supply situation and a reduction in the pending refill backlog. The revised booking cycle comes after restrictions had been introduced amid supply pressures linked to the conflict in the Middle East. LPG Booking Interval Revised Across India According to the minister, the government had earlier introduced different booking intervals depending on whether consumers lived in urban or rural areas. Urban LPG customers could book a refill after 25 days, while the waiting period for rural consumers stood at 45 days. The government has now decided to remove this distinction as supply conditions improve. "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," he said. Centre Cites Improvement In LPG Supply The revised policy follows a period in which the availability of LPG came under pressure due to disruptions associated with the Middle East conflict. To manage supply constraints, the refill booking interval had been differentiated between urban and rural consumers. Gopi said the situation has since improved considerably, with the backlog of refill requests also coming down. The government has therefore opted to relax the earlier restriction rather than continue with separate booking timelines. The decision effectively restores a common booking window for domestic LPG customers irrespective of their location. OMCs Asked To Implement Change Immediately The Petroleum Ministry has also communicated the revised arrangement to oil marketing companies, with instructions to put the new 25-day booking interval into effect without delay. The minister, in his post, also shared a copy of the letter issued by the Petroleum Ministry to the OMCs to immediately implement the change.
