The Telangana government has urgently requested additional auto LPG supply from the Centre to address the state’s daily deficit. Minister for Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy sent a letter to Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, highlighting the current shortage of 55 MTs per day in the state. The plea emphasized the need to increase auto LPG availability at public sector undertakings’ outlets like IOCL, BPCL, and HPCL.
Stressing the significant impact on the auto LPG segment in the state, Reddy mentioned that nearly one lakh autorickshaws running on LPG are affected, leading to disruptions in public transport services and impacting the livelihoods of auto drivers and their families. He urged Puri to direct PSUs to support private marketing companies by supplying the deficient LPG to them. The letter also highlighted the price disparity, with rates at private pumps reaching Rs 93 per litre compared to Rs 75 at PSU stations, calling for regulatory measures to prevent unjustified price hikes during the crisis.
Uttam Kumar Reddy appealed to the Central minister to enhance supply, assist private distributors, and control price surges. He assured that the state is strictly following the Centre’s directives to manage the LPG supply situation amid the Middle East crisis. The letter mentioned that domestic LPG supply for essential household needs is being maintained at 100%, while commercial LPG allocations are regulated as per the Centre’s guidelines.
The auto LPG distribution network in Telangana involves both public sector undertakings and private operators. While PSUs operate 33 outlets, constituting 20% of the market share, private operators like Super Gas, Go Gas, Total Energies, and others manage 110 outlets, holding an 80% market share. Due to existing supply limitations, a daily shortfall of around 55 MTs of Auto LPG persists, causing many private outlets to face shortages, disrupting public transport services and leading to public disorders.
