LPG crisis in MP deepens as demand surges:Bookings rise 70%, waiting hits four days

The LPG crisis in Madhya Pradesh continues to intensify, with commercial cylinder supply to hotels and restaurants halted for the eighth consecutive day. Although oil companies have issued fresh guidelines allowing 10% supply to commercial users, formal orders are still awaited. If orders are issued by Wednesday, nearly 50,000 hotels and restaurants across the state may begin receiving commercial LPG cylinders. Domestic demand surges by 70%, waiting period increases Amid the shortage, demand for domestic LPG cylinders has surged by nearly 70%, leading to waiting periods of 3 to 4 days. According to Bhopal Food Controller Chandrabhan Singh Jadaun, the city has around 5.5 lakh LPG connections, including 80,000 commercial and 4.7 lakh domestic consumers. Daily bookings in Bhopal have risen sharply from an average of 8,500 to nearly 14,000, creating a shortfall of 5,000–6,000 cylinders and pushing pending demand to around 48,000. Supply being increased, backlog to clear soon Officials say efforts are being made to boost supply. Over the past few days, around 12,000 to 13,000 cylinders are being supplied daily in Bhopal alone, and the backlog is expected to be cleared within the next 3 to 4 days. Bookings are being processed online for Bharat and HP gas, while Indane bookings are still largely offline. Indane accounts for nearly 65% of total connections. Guidelines issued, orders awaited Oil companies released new guidelines on Tuesday specifying that 12 categories, including hotels, restaurants, and roadside eateries, should receive 10% of their commercial LPG requirement. However, officials say supply will only resume after detailed orders are issued. Hotel industry faces severe impact According to MP Hotel Association president Sumit Suri, similar establishments in Maharashtra have already been granted 70% LPG supply relief. He expressed hope that similar orders would soon be implemented in Madhya Pradesh. Currently, the lack of supply has severely impacted over 50,000 hotels and restaurants, calling it “like oxygen” for the industry if restored. Hotels turn to costly alternatives With supply disrupted for over a week, hotels in cities like Bhopal and Indore are running out of gas stock. Many have resorted to alternative cooking methods such as induction stoves and diesel furnaces, which are significantly more expensive. As a result, establishments have issued internal guidelines to modify menus. Despite the crisis and reduced customer footfall, no layoffs have been reported in the hospitality sector so far. Protests erupt over gas shortage The LPG shortage has also triggered protests across the state. On Monday, Congress workers, including former minister PC Sharma, staged a protest in Bhopal by setting up a tea stall and attempting to make tea using gas emitted from a drain. Posters at the protest site mocked the situation, urging people sarcastically to follow Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s advice and use drain gas instead of LPG. On Tuesday, Congress leader Ravindra Sahu distributed coal to street vendors as a symbolic protest against the ongoing shortage.