Rural Cooking Gas Consumers Get Booking Gap Relief

The Indian government has relaxed restrictions on cooking gas cylinder bookings for rural consumers. The Union Petroleum Ministry directed state-run oil marketing companies to reduce the booking gap from 45 days to 25 days, effective immediately.

This decision was made due to the significant reduction in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supply backlogs since the West Asia conflict in February 2026. As a result of the improved LPG supply situation, the government has done away with differentiated timelines for urban and rural consumers, reverting to a uniform 25-day booking gap for all domestic LPG consumers.

Industry officials noted that LPG sales have been declining since the West Asia crisis due to increased consumption of piped natural gas. The government had hiked commercial LPG prices by Rs 9.50 per 19-kg cylinder last week, which has further contributed to the decline in demand.