The central government has reduced the LPG refill booking interval for rural consumers from 45 days to 25 days, aligning it with urban LPG consumers across the country.
LPG refill interval cut from 45 days to 25 days in Rural
Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism Suresh Gopi announced the decision on Monday, saying the restriction on the LPG refill interval, imposed in the wake of the Middle East conflict, has been relaxed.
He said the government relaxed the earlier restriction in light of improved domestic LPG supply and a significant reduction in the refill backlog.
Under the revised arrangement, all domestic LPG consumers, whether in urban or rural areas, can book their next refill after 25 days. The Petroleum Ministry has directed oil marketing companies (OMCs) to implement the revised booking interval immediately.
In a letter dated September 7 to the chairman and managing directors of IOCL, BPCL, and HPCL, the Petroleum Ministry said it decided in view of the improved LPG supply position and a considerable reduction in refill backlogs compared with the situation when it introduced the demand management measures.
The Minister, in his post, also shared a copy of the letter the Petroleum Ministry issued to the OMCs, directing them to implement the change immediately.
Accordingly, the OMCs are advised to take necessary action to implement the revised inter-refill booking intervals of 25 days uniformly across urban and rural areas with immediate effect.
Background of the LPG Refill Restriction
The LPG refill restriction in India was introduced in response to concerns about increased demand, panic booking, hoarding, and the need to ensure adequate availability of domestic LPG cylinders.
In March 2026, supply pressures and a sharp rise in LPG booking volumes led oil marketing companies to tighten controls on refill bookings.
Reports indicated that major oil marketing companies introduced a 21-day minimum gap between domestic LPG refill bookings on March 6 2026.
Subsequently, the refill booking system was further regulated, with the applicable waiting period becoming 25 days in urban areas and 45 days in rural areas.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas clarified on March 25 2026, that these were the existing refill booking timelines and rejected reports claiming different limits based on the type of LPG connection.
The restriction was primarily intended to ensure the equitable distribution of domestic LPG, prevent unnecessary or panic bookings, and protect supplies for household consumers.
The government also took measures to increase domestic LPG availability and discourage hoarding and black marketing during the period of supply uncertainty.
But in the current scenario, to normalise the LPG shortage, the Indian government reduced the rural LPG refill booking interval from 45 days to a uniform 25 days because the domestic cooking gas supply has improved and delivery backlogs have dropped.
