No immediate LPG shortage in Kerala, assures State government

Allaying concerns over the global liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shortage triggered by the ongoing conflict in West Asia, the State government has assured that Kerala has sufficient cooking gas stocks to meet domestic demand.

According to Statewide LPG stock data released by the Food and Civil Supplies Department (based on opening stock figures for Tuesday), the current domestic stock stands at 22,064.9 metric tonnes (MT), while non-domestic stock is 1,601.9 MT and transit stock totals 1,487.6 MT.

Officials stated that the available domestic stock alone would last for more than six days, with uninterrupted replenishment expected to continue. The supply lines remain stable and there is no immediate cause for concern regarding LPG availability.

Kerala currently serves 98.45 lakh domestic LPG consumers. This includes 20.46 lakh single-bottle connection (SBC) users and 77.99 lakh double-bottle connection (DBC) users across the three state-owned oil marketing companies—Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL).

As of February 26, the State’s average daily LPG consumption was recorded at 2,985 MT for domestic use and 753 MT for non-domestic purposes.

Bottling plants across Kerala collectively hold 19,847.7 MT of LPG stock. In addition, retail distributors currently maintain 3,366.2 MT of domestic LPG and 452.9 MT of non-domestic stock. Among bottling facilities, the Kochi plant operated by BPCL has the highest domestic LPG stock availability of 10,961 MT.

Continuous monitoring

The State’s LPG stock is being continuously monitored as part of a policy framework to regulate cooking gas supply in order to ensure uninterrupted supply, prevent misuse, and prioritise essential services.

The guidelines were finalised during a recent high-level review convened by the Chief Minister with representatives of oil marketing companies. A multi-tiered monitoring system, involving a State Crisis Management Committee, chaired by the Chief Secretary, has come into being. The panel will oversee the overall LPG supply situation and guide allocation strategies.

At the operational level, the Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department has been designated as the nodal agency. The Commissioner of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs will function as the State Nodal Officer, supported by an Emergency Response Cell and a real-time LPG monitoring dashboard to track availability and distribution across districts. Daily reports on supply status will be submitted to the government.

District-level committees, headed by District Collectors, will also play a crucial role in managing local distribution. These panels are tasked with monitoring stock levels, addressing refill delays, coordinating with bottling plants, and ensuring supply to priority sectors such as hospitals, educational institutions, and community kitchens.

The government has directed district authorities to maintain adequate stock levels, including a minimum reserve of commercial LPG cylinders for priority distribution. During supply constraints, non-domestic LPG distribution will be capped at around 20% of average daily consumption.