The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has announced a major relief for the commercial sector in Bihar by increasing the supply of LPG cylinders. Starting March 24, the state will see a 50 percent hike in commercial gas allotment to tackle the ongoing shortage. Petroleum companies will begin receiving the increased stock from March 23, ensuring that the supply chain is ready for the upcoming demand.
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New Rules and Mandatory Registration for Consumers
The Ministry has introduced strict guidelines to manage the increased supply and prevent misuse. All commercial and industrial LPG consumers are now required to register themselves with the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). Additionally, the application for PNG is mandatory for these consumers to streamline the fuel distribution process. These steps are part of a broader plan to normalize the availability of fuel across the state and prevent hoarding or black marketing.
Priority Sectors and Operational Changes
The government has revised the allocation strategy to ensure essential services and small businesses get their due share. The previous 30 percent quota for hospitals and educational institutions has been increased to 50 percent. Distributors have been instructed to prioritize several key sectors to support the local economy and workers.
- Priority distribution for restaurants, dhabas, and hotels.
- Supply for industrial canteens, food processing, and dairy units.
- Focus on government and community kitchens.
- Ensuring 5kg cylinder supply for migrant laborers.
- Indane’s closed bottling plant to resume operations from Monday.
To ensure the smooth rollout of these measures, gas distributors have been asked to keep their offices open on Sunday, March 23. This will help in coordinating the supply to agencies and meeting the immediate needs of commercial establishments. The reopening of the Indane bottling plant is expected to further stabilize the cylinder availability in the coming days.
