The Telangana government on Friday appealed to all consumers not to panic buy LPG cylinders amid growing concerns arising from geopolitical tensions in West Asia, and assured that there will be continuous supply of gas to domestic consumers.
Following reports of LPG consumers queuing up in front of gas traders to reserve cylinders in different parts of the state, Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy held a high-level video conference with representatives of oil companies, senior officials of the Civil Supplies Department and police authorities.
Speaking to reporters later, Reddy said there was no shortage of domestic LPG in Telangana and urged citizens to avoid panic booking based on unverified rumors on social media, as there would be uninterrupted supply and distribution of gas to domestic consumers.
“The supply chain remains stable and new shipments are arriving regularly. The state holds about 10,611 metric tons of LPG in stock, equivalent to about 6.97 lakh (697,000) cylinders,” he said.
He called for comprehensive coordination among all concerned parties to ensure adequate stock levels and effective mechanisms for timely delivery while initiating strict measures to reduce the hoarding of LPG cylinders and strategies to confront misinformation that is fueling public anxiety.
The minister said Telangana has a strong LPG network, with around 12.9 million active domestic connections served by 810 distributors. “The daily demand is around 2.5 lakh (250,000) cylinders, of which domestic users account for nearly 86%, leaving commercial demand at around 14%. No bottling plant in the state has faced disruptions and more than 90% of domestic demand has been met consistently in recent periods.”
He said the main measure discussed in the video conference was the implementation of revised reservation periods to prevent the diversion of subsidized domestic cylinders for commercial or hoarding purposes.
“The government has aligned with national guidelines to set the minimum booking gap at 25 days for urban consumers and 45 days for rural consumers. This adjustment, from previous shorter periods, aims to match realistic household consumption patterns, while limiting surplus cylinders that can be misused in hotels, restaurants or black markets,” he said.
Reddy said ad hoc coordination committees have been set up at state and district levels starting Friday. The Chief Secretary will chair the state-level LPG supply coordination committee, which will monitor inventory, distribution and compliance across the state in real time.
At the district level, committees led by district collectors will conduct daily reviews, enforce reservation rules, and address local grievances on the spot. He added that these bodies include representatives of civil supplies, the police, and representatives of oil companies to ensure smooth cooperation.
The minister said that the government decided not to lack basic services such as hospitals, schools, orphanages, homes for the elderly, and other vital institutions. He said: “Only minor adjustments may be applied to commercial sectors if necessary to protect domestic priorities, but officials have made it clear that the stability of overall supply allows for balanced distribution.”
The minister called for the public’s cooperation, and advised relying on official channels to obtain updates. He reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring deliveries meet the real needs of families and ensuring equitable access during this period of global uncertainty.
