India Doubles Allocation Of 5Kg LPG Cylinders For Migrant Workers

2026-04-07 02:24:44

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) [Editor's Note: Follow Khaleej Times live blog amid US-Israel-Iran war for the latest regional developments.]

The daily allocation of 5kg LPG (free trade/ FTL) cylinders (dubbed 'chhotu', or 'small') to migrant labourers across India has been doubled by the government, in a bid to ease difficulties while cooking and also to prevent the migration of hundreds of thousands of workers to their towns and villages from the major cities.

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The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has asked state governments and union territories to double the number of such cylinders, based on the average daily numbers supplied on March 2 and 3, 2026.

India has been facing a major crisis in the supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), used by 300 million households across the country for their cooking. About 90 per cent of its LPG imports passed through the Strait of Hormuz and 60 per cent of households rely on it for cooking. The additional cylinders will be distributed by state governments only to migrant labourers, with support from public sector oil marketing companies.

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In the absence of LPG for cooking, many people had switched to firewood for cooking at home. But its high cost and the inability of food vendors and canteens at workplaces to provide food in the absence of LPG has resulted in a growing number of labourers heading home to distant towns in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

'Chhotu' cylinders can be bought by labourers without going through elaborate procedures. Any valid government document, including 'Aadhaar' or PAN cards, or voter ID allows the workers, students and others to get gas cylinders for their daily cooking at home.

According to government figures, 90,000 'chhotu' cylinders were sold in the country on Monday.

The government claims that the expansion of the piped natural gas (PNG) network is also keeping pace, with 360,000 connections having been 'gasified' and nearly 400,000 new registrations done since March.

“The government is making all efforts to ensure availability of Petrol, Diesel and LPG, and citizens are advised to avoid panic purchase of petrol and diesel as well as unnecessary booking of LPG,” said an official statement on Tuesday.“Citizens are advised to beware of rumours and rely only on official sources for correct information.”

Raids are also being conducted across India to check hoardings of cylinders and black marketing of LPG. Over 50,000 cylinders have been seized by officials in March.