LPG panic booking in Delhi starts as govt's 25-day gap rule sets in

FEars o'er cookery gaseous state shortages swept through and through new delhi, with gas agencies reporting a surge in calls from anxious customers and multiple requests for cylinders on Tuesday, hours after central government invoked the Essential Commodities Act to prioritise domestic supply amid disruptions caused by the widening West Asia conflict. Track US Iran conflict updatesWhile officials at retailers insisted there is no supply shortage, they said customers have begun demanding prioritised cylinder delivery in what appeared to be a rush, even as the government tried to assure consumers that adequate LPG is available.Also read: 'Good actors': Why US ‘allowed’ India to purchase Russian oil despite tariff tensionsA representative from Atul Enterprises in Janata Market near Jhandewalan Temple in central Delhi said the system is not generating booking slips due to the new 25-day rule. “There are people who made bookings three or four days ago but we are unable to provide them cylinders because of this rule,” he said.On Monday, the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas confirmed it mandated a 25-day minimum gap between domestic LPG cylinder bookings, increasing the interval from the previous 21 days, to prevent panic buying, hoarding, and black marketing amid supply constraints caused by the ongoing conflict.Meanwhile, some agencies in west Delhi reported not receiving supply on Tuesday. Avinash Pandey, store keeper at an agency in Kirti Nagar, said they typically receive 350 cylinders daily from a Haryana supplier but got none on Tuesday. “We managed with what we had from Monday. We sold about 326 cylinders today but we don’t know what will happen,” he said.Also read: Trump announces first US oil refinery in 50 years with Reliance backing; to be set up in TexasCommercial establishments are facing greater uncertainty. A representative from Siddhartha Enterprises in Rajinder Nagar said they have stopped supplying cylinders to commercial users following directions. “What we are seeing is a spike in bookings among customers. Even though the government has said there will be no shortage, people want to ensure they have a cylinder in reserve,” he added.In Vikaspuri, gas agencies reported being bombarded with calls. “Restaurants know we can no longer provide them commercial cylinders, but they still enquire daily. Domestic consumers are coming and calling us to try and get multiple cylinders but we tell them it’s not possible,” said Geetanjali, manager at Indane Nairs Gas Service.Harnoor Singh, manager at Milind Gas Service, said they have heard of cylinders being sold at exorbitant rates in the black market – almost double the cost. A tea seller from New Friends Colony confirmed prices have risen from ₹1,100 to ₹2,000.Restaurant owners said that in areas like Connaught Place where piped gas is not available, the situation is getting tense with no additional supply of cylinders. “For most restaurants, it is getting difficult to offer items that take up a lot of gas, especially with coal tandoors no longer allowed,” said Varun Khera, owner of The Imperial Spice in CP.