MP feels fuel pinch, limits commercial LPG to edu centres, hospitals

Bhopal: In what could be the first major fallout of the ongoing West Asian conflict on fuel stocks and supply in Madhya Pradesh, the state government, on Wednesday, decided to cut commercial cooking gas to hotels, malls and bulk LPG users.The government said while the domestic LPG supply remains steady, commercial cylinders would only be available only for educational institutions and hospitals. The government also asked district collectors to hold meetings with commercial LPG consumers and advise them to use their available stock prudently while adopting or switching to alternative fuel sources to meet their requirements."Oil companies have informed (us) that due to the current geo-political situation, there has been disruption in imports. Considering this situation, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, govt of India has directed all public sector oil marketing companies to ensure that LPG supply and distribution is given priority for domestic LPG consumers only," read a government advisory to district collectors.The decision, which took effect from Wednesday itself, may potentially result in the closure of thousands of hotels across the state till the ongoing war waged by Israel and the US against Iran ends and normal global crude supply is restored."To ensure regular supply to households, additional measures have been implemented in LPG distribution. For example, refill booking will be accepted only after 25 days from the previous delivery", the government stated further in its advisory, adding, "The purpose of this step is to prevent hoarding and black marketing and to ensure fair and regular distribution to consumers."The government's advisory comes with a clear indication that hotels and restaurants in MP would only be in operation as long as their existing commercial LPG stock lasts. While the government said it currently has over six days of petrol, diesel, CNG, and PNG stocks left, it added that supply remains steady. "Accordingly, oil companies have decided that except for hospitals and educational institutions, other commercial consumers (such as hotels, malls, bulk LPG users, industrial areas, factories, etc) will not be supplied commercial LPG (bulk or packed) at present," the advisory stated."At the district level, the district administration, food department, and oil company officials should hold regular meetings with LPG distributors and review the availability of domestic and commercial cylinders," the advisory read, adding, "Meetings with major commercial consumers in the district should also be organised, advising them to use the available stock prudently and to adopt alternative fuel sources to meet their fuel requirements."The state also directed the collectors to ensure there was no hoarding or black-marketing of LPG cylinders at the level of distributors, taking undue advantage of the global supply crunch."In this regard, oil marketing companies and their field officers have been instructed to remain in contact with the district administration to review the situation and maintain continuous monitoring," the government order stated.