Parliament Question: LPG Distribution Network in Tamil Nadu

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3332 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12thMarch, 2026 LPG Distribution Network in Tamil Nadu 3332. Shri Mani A: पे(cid:367)ोिलयम एवं (cid:255)ाकृितक गैस मं(cid:253)ी Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state: (a) the details of total number of LPG distributors functioning in Tamil Nadu during the last three years along with the number of licensed distribution agencies per district, district-wise; (b) whether the Government has the details of the number of LPG distributors serving the Dharmapuri Parliamentary Constituency and the coverage of LPG connection delivery points within the constituency, if so, the details thereof; (c) whether any gaps or underserved areas have been identified in Dharmapuri where residents face delays or difficulty in accessing LPG distributors and refills, if so, the details thereof; (d) whether the Government has received any specific grievances relating to LPG supply, distributor accessibility, delivery logistics or safety compliance in Dharmapuri Constituency, if so, the details thereof; and (e) whether targeted measures are proposed to strengthen LPG distribution networks, improve service delivery and ensure equitable access for all households in Dharmapuri and across Tamil Nadu, if so, the details thereof? ANSWER प(cid:282)े ो(cid:871)लयम एवं (cid:292)ाकृ(cid:467)तक गैस मं(cid:287)ालय म(cid:581) रा(cid:207)य मं(cid:287)ी ((cid:302)ी सुरेश गोपी) MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI SURESH GOPI) (a) to (e): As of 01.03.2026, there are a total of 25,605 LPG distributorships operating across the country including 1,658 in State of Tamil Nadu. These are served through 214 LPG bottling plants of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) located across the country. In order to improve access of LPG in rural and remote areas, OMCs have commissioned 8037 distributorships, during 01.04.2016 to 28.02.2026 across the country, out of which 7444 (i.e. 93 %) are catering to rural areas. The details of no. of LPG distributorship in the state of Tamil Nadu during last three years and the current year are as below: Date (As on) 01.04.2023 01.04.2024 01.04.2025 01.03.2026 No. of LPG Distributors in Tamil Nadu 1638 1642 1651 1658 *As on 31st March of respective Financial year. Source: IOCL on behalf of PSU OMCsThe district-wise details of number of LPG distributors available in state of Tamil Nadu are at Annexure-A. Dharmapuri Parliamentary Constituency covers Dharmapuri and Salem districts and is served by a total of 110 LPG distributors of Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) including 88 rural (Rurban, Gramin & Durgam Kshetriya Vitrak (DKV)) distributors. 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. OMCs have 58 numbers of CSC VLEs in these aforesaid 02 districts to ensure the last mile availability of LPG. To enhance consumer empowerment and improve service transparency, IVRS/SMS refill booking system has been implemented across the Country in all LPG distributorships. Under this system, consumers receive SMS notifications at key stages — refill booking, cash memo generation, and refill delivery —which allows them to track their transactions and report any cases of wrong or non-delivery. In addition, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have introduced the Delivery Authentication Code (DAC). This code is sent to the consumer via SMS upon cash memo generation and is required to be shared with the delivery personnel at the time of delivery, thereby ensuring delivery authentication. As a result of these efforts, the average refill delivery time during the current Financial Year (Apr’25-Feb’26) in these districts has been reported as less than 1.5 days. During financial year 2024–25, a total no.of 884 refill supply related complaints were received in Dharmapuri and Salem districts of the Dharmapuri Parliamentary Constituency and all the complaints were resolved within the stipulated time. The grievance redressal system for all LPG consumers has been gradually strengthened and improved over time to enhance consumer experience and service quality. Now LPG consumers can lodge their grievances/complaints using any of the following methods- 1. Toll free helpline- A dedicated toll-free helpline (1800 2333 555) is available for consumers to lodge their queries, including subsidy-related issues. 2. OMCs' official websites and Mobile Applications 3. Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) 4. Chatbots, WhatsApp, Social media handles (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) including MoPNG eSEVA 5. 1906: Dedicated helpline for LPG accidents/leakages 6. Lodging Complaints directly at the distributor office In case of online complaints consumers have an option to provide their feedback on complaint resolution. If a consumer is not satisfied with the resolution provided, they have the option to reopen the query for further review. ******Annexure-A Annexure referred to part (a) to (e)of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3332 to be answered on 12.03.2026 regarding “LPG Distribution Network in Tamil Nadu” asked by Shri Mani A. District-wise, number of LPG Distributorships in Tamil Nadu (As on 01.03.2026) District Name No. of LPG Distributors ARIYALUR 16 COIMBATORE 92 KANNIYAKUMARI 34 CHENNAI 106 MADURAI 69 THE NILGIRIS 20 VELLORE 36 PUDUKKOTTAI 33 RAMANATHAPURAM 30 SALEM 77 DHARMAPURI 33 THANJAVUR 44 TIRUCHIRAPPALLI 69 THIRUVALLUR 78 TIRUVANNAMALAI 57 CUDDALORE 52 VILLUPURAM 38 KANCHIPURAM 27 PERAMBALUR 19 TUTICORIN 46 TIRUNELVELI 41 VIRUDHUNAGAR 45 THENI 27 DINDIGUL 44 SIVAGANGA 29 KARUR 31 THIRUVARUR 27 NAGAPATTINAM 16 ERODE 65 NAMAKKAL 45 KRISHNAGIRI 41 TIRUPPUR 73 CHENGALPATTU 61 KALLAKURICHI 29 TIRUPATHUR 26 RANIPET 38 TENKASI 29 MAYILADUTHURAI 15 Total 1658 Source: IOCL on behalf of PSU OMCs