Amid concerns triggered by the West Asia conflict, LPG refill bookings in Himachal Pradesh have risen by 30–35 per cent this month compared to February, a state official said on Wednesday.
According to Mohammad Amid, divisional LPG sales head at Indian Oil Corporation, around 9,500 LPG bookings were recorded in a single day in February, with numbers witnessing a sharp increase in March. He attributed the surge largely to panic over a perceived shortage.
Data shows that in the first 15 days of February, 3,86,867 LPG deliveries were made against 4,82,341 bookings, leaving a gap of 95,574. In contrast, during the first half of March, only 3,16,926 deliveries were completed against 6,45,388 bookings, widening the gap significantly to 3,28,462.
Despite the spike in demand, Amid maintained that there is no actual shortage of domestic LPG cylinders. He said all 12 districts of the state are being supplied through bottling plants located in Baddi, Una and Jalandhar.
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However, he acknowledged that rationing has been imposed on commercial LPG cylinders. Currently, only about 20 per cent of the demand is being met, though this is expected to increase to 40–50 per cent in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi said supply disruptions were linked to the ongoing conflict in West Asia and criticised India’s foreign policy stance. He remarked that strained relations with traditionally friendly nations like Iran are now reflecting in the current situation.
Negi added that the impact is already visible on the ground, with several dhaba owners shutting down operations, and hotels and restaurants reducing their menus due to limited fuel availability.
The LPG crunch has also forced a return to traditional cooking methods, with even prominent establishments like Hotel Holiday Home—the official caterer to the state Vidhan Sabha—resorting to ‘chulhas’ to manage operations.
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