Price hike, booking delays fuel panic, say LPG distributors in Chandigarh

The Federation of LPG Distributors of Punjab on Tuesday highlighted what it termed a “widening gap between official assurances and the ground situation”.

Referring to the sharp increase in LPG prices – Rs 60 per domestic cylinder and Rs 115 per 19-kg commercial cylinder – federation president Gurpal Singh Mann said the sudden hike, without adequate groundwork or communication, had triggered panic among consumers over a possible shortage. Subsequent measures, he added, had further increased confusion rather than easing concerns. The increase in booking time to 25 days has sparked confusion. “If there is no shortage, as officially stated, such restrictions are difficult to justify,” he said.

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The crash of booking channel servers further worsened the situation, while supply from bottling plants remained insufficient to meet even existing demand.

Distributors, he said, were facing mounting backlogs and limited supply, contradicting official claims of adequacy and eroding public trust. This mismatch, he added, highlights a significant gap between government assurances and the reality.

Gurpal Singh maintained that policy decisions such as restrictive booking, suspension of booking systems and sudden price hikes were fuelling panic instead of controlling it, creating a perception of scarcity similar to the Covid period. The federation flagged supply-chain inefficiencies and lack of transparency, stating that bottling plants were operating below capacity during peak demand. Distributors were not being provided timely and clear information regarding supply schedules or policy decisions, making it difficult to address the public.

Taking the issue further, Gurpal said, “The public panic and confusion are being used as a business strategy by private PNG companies. As the government increased LPG prices, one very big player reduced its prices,” he claimed.

The federation urged authorities to improve communication, ease booking restrictions, increase supply and ensure full capacity at bottling plants. It maintained that its system was fully transparent and OTP-based, ruling out black-market concerns, but stressed the need for better coord