Local refineries meet only 30% of Assam’s LPG demand; govt ramps up monitoring as CM rules out shortage

Ravi Kota, Chief Secretary of Assam, on March 11 said local refineries currently have the capacity to meet only about 30 per cent of the state’s demand for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), raising concerns about a possible supply gap in the coming days.

In a post on X, Kota said the state’s four refineries have been requested to ramp up production to ensure uninterrupted supply of cooking gas to consumers. He said the issue was reviewed during a video conference with the Union Home Secretary, which was attended by chief secretaries and directors general of police from all states and Union territories to assess the availability of LPG and diesel across the country.

According to Kota, the local refineries are expected to meet only around 30 per cent of the state’s LPG demand. The refineries include three operated by Indian Oil Corporation at Digboi, Guwahati and Bongaigaon, and another run by Numaligarh Refinery Limited at Numaligarh.

To monitor the situation closely, the state government has constituted a high-powered committee headed by the chief secretary with representatives from relevant departments to regularly review the fuel supply position. Kota also said a dedicated media monitoring committee has been set up to track rumours, misinformation and misleading reports that could create panic among consumers.

He added that enforcement agencies have been instructed to take strict action against individuals or entities spreading false information or attempting to create panic about fuel availability.

Meanwhile, Himanta Biswa Sarma said there is no crisis of LPG cylinders in the state. Speaking to reporters, the chief minister said the government is closely monitoring the situation in the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

Sarma said India has made arrangements to procure gas from around 40 countries and added that Russia has also started sending oil and gas supplies to the country. He expressed confidence that there would be no shortage of LPG, recalling how the central government managed oxygen supply during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier, Indian Oil Corporation, which supplies nearly 85 per cent of LPG cylinders across the Northeast, said it has sufficient stock to meet the region’s demand despite concerns arising from the geopolitical situation.

A senior IOC official said all nine bottling plants in the Northeast are currently operating at maximum capacity and distributing cylinders in accordance with government directives.

Officials said the Northeast requires around 1.91 lakh domestic LPG cylinders of 14.2 kg every day, of which approximately 1.34 lakh are consumed in Assam alone. In the commercial segment of 19 kg cylinders, the regional demand stands at about 5,777 units daily, including 4,112 units in Assam.