Parliament Question: Expansion of LPG Distribution Infrastructure

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3159 TO BE ANSWERED ON 6th August, 2026 Expansion of LPG Distribution Infrastructure 3159. Shri Baijayant Panda: पे(cid:282)ो(cid:871)लयम एवं (cid:292)ाकृ(cid:467)तक गैस मं(cid:287)ी Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state: (a) the details of the expansion of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) distribution infrastructure, including bottling plants and distributorships across the country, during the last three years; (b) the extent to which the said expansion has improved access to LPG in rural and aspirational districts; and (c) the steps taken by the Government to ensure reliable LPG supply and consumer convenience? ANSWER पे(cid:282)ो(cid:871)लयम एवं (cid:292)ाकृ(cid:467)तक गैस मं(cid:287)ालय म(cid:581) रा(cid:207)यमं(cid:287)ी ((cid:302)ी सुरेश गोपी) MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI SURESH GOPI) (a) & (b): Appointment of LPG distributorships by the Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) is a continuous process and locations for setting up of LPG distributorships are identified and advertised under Unified Selection Guidelines 2016 for LPG Distributorships. As on 01.07.2026, there are a total of 25,611 LPG distributorships operating across the country, out of which 17,685 distributorships are serving rural areas. In order to improve access of LPG in rural and remote areas, OMCs have commissioned 8,045 distributorships during 01.04.2016 to 30.06.2026 across the country, out of which 7,452 (i.e. 93 %) are catering to rural areas. Since 01.04.2023, 298 LPG distributorships have been commissioned by PSU OMCs, out of which 262 distributorships (88%) cater to the customers in rural areas. To further improve last-mile delivery in remote and underserved habitations, OMCs have taken several measures, including commissioning of rural and remote-area distributorships, appointment of Common Service Center - Village Level Entrepreneur (CSC VLEs), use of technology for order booking and tracking. There is adequate LPG bottling capacity available in the country. As on 01.07.2026, there are 214 LPG bottling plants of OMCs serving across the country having bottling capacity of 23.1 Million Metric Tonnes per annum. Most bottling plants of PSU OMCs currently operate in single or double shifts only. Actual LPG bottling can be further enhanced significantly by increasing the number of shifts per day as per need. Since 01.04.2023, PSU OMCs have commissioned 10 LPG bottling Plants with combined rated capacity of 750 Thousand Metric Tonnes Per Annum (TMTPA) and have augmented 18 TMTPA at existing LPG Plants. Hence, the total bottling capacity added by PSU OMCs during last three years is 768 TMTPA.Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was started in May, 2016 with an objective to provide deposit free LPG connection to adult women from poor households across the country including aspirational districts. As of 01.07.2026, there are 33.13 crore domestic LPG consumers including 10.58 crore PMUY connections in the country. Implementation of PMUY coupled with expansion of LPG distributorships and bottling infrastructure has contributed to improvement in LPG coverage in the country from 62% in April 2016 to near saturation now. (c): For the convenience of consumers, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have implemented multiple digital initiatives across the country, including IVRS/SMS-based refill booking with SMS alerts at the booking, cash memo generation and delivery stages, Delivery Authentication Code (DAC)-based verified delivery, and digital booking through mobile apps, IVRS, SMS, missed call and WhatsApp. Consumers can also avail self-Biometric Aadhaar Authentication through OMC mobile applications, obtain new LPG connections through missed call, choose from various cylinder package options, and benefit from digitalization of customer documents. To further enhance customer service, OMCs have introduced dedicated short-code consumer helplines, namely 14428 for the general helpline and 14438 for PMUY (Ujjwala) beneficiaries. In addition, LPG consumers can lodge their grievances or complaints through multiple channels, including the dedicated toll-free helpline (1800 2333 555) for queries, including subsidy-related issues, OMCs' official websites and mobile applications, the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), chatbots, WhatsApp, social media platforms (Twitter/X, Facebook, and Instagram), including MoPNGeSEVA, the dedicated emergency helpline 1906 for LPG accidents and leakages, or by lodging complaints directly at their LPG distributor's office. Diversification of LPG imports is being pursued to ensure supply security and mitigate risks arising from regional disruptions or geopolitical events. As part of this strategy, PSU OMCs have recently concluded contracts for the import of approximately 2.2 Million Metric Ton (MMT) of US-origin LPG for the calendar year 2026, covering nearly 10% of the country’s total LPG import requirement. This marks a significant step in strengthening India’s energy resilience by establishing a reliable alternate LPG supply source outside the traditional Arab Gulf region. The Government continues to closely monitor the supply situation and take such additional measures, as may be necessary, to ensure uninterrupted availability of LPG throughout the country. *******