Domestic LPG diverted to commercial in Ahmedabad, Gujarat govt fails to curb misuse

Ahmedabad has been hit by a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders. This has given rise to black marketing. A 19-kg commercial cylinder, normally priced around ₹1,900, is now being sold for ₹4,500 to ₹5,000. Gujarat government’s Civil Supplies department has failed to curb this, with illegal refilling of domestic gas into commercial cylinders reportedly increasing.

Around 2.5 lakh to 3 lakh households in Ahmedabad have both LPG and PNG connections. The system has not been able to track these double connections. Since many people do not use their domestic LPG cylinders, some groups are illegally extracting gas from these cylinders and refilling commercial cylinders for profit.

Ahmedabad has about 12 lakh to 15 lakh domestic LPG connections and nearly 2 lakh commercial connections. Cashing in on the shortage, gas meant for homes is being diverted and sold to schools, hospitals, hostels, and other commercial users. This illegal business earns a profit of ₹2,500 to ₹3,000 per cylinder.

The cost of gas taken from domestic cylinders and filled into commercial cylinders is around ₹1,250. These are then sold in the black market for up to ₹5,000. Some people are also buying domestic cylinders for about ₹2,500 and using them for commercial purposes, which is against the rules.

Due to the shortage, many small businesses, food vendors, and restaurants are facing problems in daily operations. Institutions like schools, hospitals, and hostels are also struggling to get regular gas supply, which is affecting their services.

So far, the Civil Supplies department has failed to take action against such illegal activities. Officials have been criticised for failing to control the black market and unable to monitor the misuse of domestic gas connections.

Despite the issue, only a few people have cancelled their extra LPG connections. Around 25% of LPG connections are reportedly unused for cooking.