New Delhi, June 1 (IANS) While the market price of LPG has shot up to Rs 1,200 per cylinder in the global market, the Ujjwala households are still being supplied the gas at Rs 613 per 14.2 kg cylinder, as the government is footing a subsidy of Rs 587 per cylinder, a senior petroleum ministry official said.
In effect, the Ujjwala households are paying only half the market price for the gas while the government is bearing the cost of the rest by providing a subsidy to protect them from the price rise triggered by the Iran war, he added.
The under-recovery of the oil marketing companies in 2024-25 was at Rs 41,338 crore in 2024-25, which has shot up to Rs 60,000 crore in 2025-26 due to the price spike triggered by the Middle East conflict, according to official figures.
The Government has paid a subsidy of Rs 30,000 crore on LPG during the 2025-26 to shield domestic consumers.
The price of LPG in India is also much lower than in neighbouring countries. While general households are paying Rs 913 per LPG cylinder and those under the Ujjwala scheme are paying Rs 613, in Sri Lanka, the families have to shell out Rs 1,241 per cylinder for cooking gas, while in Nepal, the price is Rs 1,207 and in Pakistan, Rs 1,046 per cylinder.
“The price of the commercial cylinder is revised every month because its cost is a direct pass-through of the international benchmark. The domestic cylinder is not. That is the protection,” the official observed.
Meanwhile, the supply of domestic LPG in the country remains normal as about 1.22 crore LPG cylinders were delivered to households against bookings of around 1.21 crore cylinders during the last 3 days, according to the latest update of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Online LPG cylinder bookings increased to about 99 per cent on Thursday, while delivery Authentication Code (DAC) deliveries based on the registered mobile number of consumers have increased to about 96 per cent to prevent diversion.
Citizens are advised to avoid panic purchase of petrol, diesel and LPG as the Government is making all efforts to ensure availability of petrol, diesel and LPG. Beware of rumours and rely on official sources for correct information.
All oil refineries in the country are operating at high capacity with adequate crude inventories, while sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel are being maintained. Domestic LPG production from refineries has been increased to about 52 TMT/day to support domestic consumption.
Adequate stocks of petrol and diesel are also available at all petrol pumps in the country. The sale of petrol and diesel increased by more than 30 per cent in many districts during May this year.
LPG consumers are requested to use digital booking platforms and avoid visiting distributors. Citizens are encouraged to use alternative fuels such as PNG and electric or induction cooktops.
All petrol pumps are operating normally across the country. Unusually high sales and heavy crowding are observed at retail outlets in certain areas. However, it is informed that there are adequate stocks of petrol and diesel available at all petrol pumps in the country, the statement said.
Bulk and industrial consumers are requested to procure diesel from authorised procurement channels. All citizens are requested to make necessary efforts to conserve energy in their daily use during the current situation.
The Centre has also asked the States to monitor and review district-wise diesel and petrol offtake patterns, intensify inspections and enforcement activities in vulnerable areas and along major transportation/industrial corridors to prevent unauthorised procurement of diesel through retail outlets by industrial and commercial consumers and initiate prompt penal action against violators, the statement added.
–IANS
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