Daily LPG Booking Numbers Ease Amid Supply Normalization
NEW DELHI: The number of domestic LPG refill bookings has dropped significantly in April, falling to around 43-44 lakh from a peak of nearly 89 lakh in mid-March. This decline has helped reduce the strain on cooking gas supplies, according to government sources.
Official data indicates that refill bookings have stayed below the 50 lakh mark since April 3, hitting a low of 35 lakh on April 12. Throughout this period, oil marketing companies managed to supply close to 50 lakh cylinders daily, with a slight decrease to 30.7 lakh deliveries on Sundays. Between April 1 and April 14, a total of 658 lakh cylinders were booked, with 652 lakh actually delivered.
Before the recent crisis, the average daily demand for domestic LPG hovered around 55 lakh cylinders. In mid-March, during the height of the West Asia conflict, the supply chain faced disruptions, leading to increased fears of shortages and a surge in refill bookings. On March 13, for instance, the number of bookings jumped to 88.8 lakh from an average of 57 lakh, driven by panic among consumers. In response, the government extended the minimum refill gap from 15 to 25 days to discourage excessive orders.
“While bookings vary, we typically see an average of 50-55 lakh a day. The domestic LPG supply is stable, and we have not encountered any shortages,” stated Sujata Sharma, joint secretary of the petroleum ministry.
