LPG bookings surge in Chandigarh Tricity as commercial supply tightens

The Chandigarh Tricity has begun to feel the first signs of a fuel pinch amid the ongoing Iran conflict, with the supply of commercial LPG cylinders coming under pressure even as petrol and diesel supplies remain normal for now. Residents and authorities fear the situation could worsen if tensions in West Asia persist.

Though filling stations across the Tricity are not seeing any disruption in supplies from nearby plants, officials said gas bookings had shot up sharply after the Centre mandated a change in booking rules for domestic LPG cylinders, increasing the gap from 21 days to 25 days. In Mohali, 32 gas agencies have reported a nearly 100 per cent spike in domestic LPG cylinder bookings.

The Centre has prioritised domestic LPG supply over commercial cylinders, leaving oil marketing companies to ration the supply of commercial LPG.

Hoteliers, eateries, hospitals and other institutions have started feeling the pinch as supplies of commercial gas cylinders are being regulated. An owner of two hotels in Mohali said, “We received gas supply yesterday but there was none today. The gas agency has assured supply tomorrow. There is no crunch as of now, but we do not know how the situation will be a week later.”

Ashwinder Singh Mongia of the Mohali District Petroleum Dealers Association said, “There is no disruption of fuel supply in Chandigarh and Mohali. The situation is normal, but rumours are being spread intermittently.”

From upscale kitchens to bustling food stalls in Sector 22 market, businesses are beginning to feel the pressure. While the government has prioritised domestic LPG, the commercial supply chain is facing a significant inventory gap. Major international chains like Domino’s are reportedly absorbing higher costs, sometimes even buying at “premium”, to maintain a three-to-four-day supply buffer.

Vinod Kumar of Nik Bakers in Sector 22 said, “There’s no problem as such yet. We have stocks of cylinders through distributors.” However, several local outlets like Sai Sweets and Sonik Dhaba are struggling to get refills. Damar Singh, owner of Singh’s Kitchen in Sector 22B, said the shortage of cylinders was worrying as there was no guarantee about availability in the coming days.

Backpackers Cafe in Sector 22 has already made a tactical shift by moving rapidly to induction cooking. The most significant concern remains with street vendors, many of whom are struggling the most and are unsure how they will sustain their businesses if forced to buy fuel at exorbitant prices.

Despite the logistical strain and the need to source fuel through unconventional channels, the market continues to function through a mix of resilience and costly workarounds. Most business owners say they are navigating the situation cautiously while waiting for regional supply chains to stabilise before existing buffer stocks run out.

Meanwhile, Mohali administration officials said the BPCL (Lalru), IOCL (Nabha) and HPCL (Jind) plants were supplying fuel routinely.