Delhi doubles LPG quota

In Delhi, a small gas cylinder has become a pressure valve for a much larger crisis. On April 7, the city government said it had doubled the daily supply of 5-kilogram LPG cylinders for migrant workers, raising that pool from 180 to 360 cylinders a day, with the total daily cap for all commercial categories set at 6,480 cylinders. The move was framed as relief for the people least able to absorb a fuel shock: workers in rented rooms, students away from home, and other residents who need a stove more than they need a formal address. (thehindu.com) (hindustantimes.com) That detail matters because the 5-kilogram cylinder is not the usual household cylinder. It is smaller, easier to carry up a staircase, cheaper to refill in one shot, and often the only practical option for people living in hostels, shared rooms, or temporary housing. Delhi had already loosened access by allowing these “free trade” cylinders to be sold through authorized distributors without proof of address; a valid ID and a self-declaration are enough. For migrants and students, that strips away the paperwork that can turn cooking fuel into a bureaucratic luxury. (thehindubusinessline.com) The increase in Delhi is part of a broader national adjustment. In an April 6 order, the central government allowed states to double the daily quantity of 5-kilogram free-trade LPG cylinders available for migrant labourers, using the average daily supply on March 2 and 3 as the baseline. That replaced an earlier rule that had limited the increase to 20 percent. Public-sector oil companies are to place the extra cylinders at the disposal of state food and civil supplies departments, which means the state gets more room to route scarce cylinders toward people who are most likely to run out first. (indiatoday.in) Delhi is trying to make that routing harder to game. The city says 5-kilogram cylinders for migrant workers will be distributed through authorized agencies with Aadhaar verification, a centralized beneficiary database, and a mandatory seven-day gap before the same person can get another cylinder. Oil companies can shift cylinders between categories, but only after valid demand in priority sectors has been met. The system is a rationing mechanism in plain clothes: not a public declaration of shortage, exactly, but a way to keep a stressed supply chain from turning into a free-for-all. (hindustantimes.com) Officials have insisted that India is not running out of LPG. The petroleum ministry said this week that supplies remain stable nationwide, with no reported “dry-out” at distributorships and more than 5.1 million domestic cylinders delivered on April 4 alone. But stable at the national level can still feel shaky on the street, especially when people buy in small quantities and live close to the edge. A tea stall, a dhaba kitchen, or a room shared by four workers does not experience the fuel market as a spreadsheet. It experiences it as tonight’s meal. (thehindubusinessline.com) (thehansindia.com) The economics help explain the urgency. Indian Oil’s posted rates show a 19-kilogram commercial cylinder in Delhi at ₹2,078.50 from April 1, while the standard 14.2-kilogram domestic cylinder remains ₹913. Commercial fuel is what many food sellers and small businesses rely on, and the latest jump came after a sharp increase tied to turmoil in West Asia. So even when the government expands access to small cylinders, the broader market is still squeezing anyone who cooks for a living. In Delhi right now, relief looks like a shorter line, a lighter cylinder, and one more week before the math stops working. (iocl.com) (thehindu.com)