215 booked in gas black marketing in Gujarat; probes pending, consumers still hit

Despite oil companies maintaining there is no shortage of cooking gas cylinders, complaints persist from lower- and middle-income households that cylinders are being sold in the black market for ₹2,000 to ₹4,000.

The Gujarat government has conducted raids at 2,451 locations, including distributor points, to curb black marketing. Cases have been registered against 215 suspects. However, with no fixed timeline for completing investigations, no concrete action has yet been taken against the accused, as statements and inquiries remain pending.

Consumers face continued uncertainty

The delay in enforcement has left many households grappling with uncertainty over access to cooking gas, even as authorities insist that supply remains adequate.

Government outlines supply measures, PNG push

Chetan Gandhi, Joint Director of the state Civil Supplies Department, said further action in these cases will proceed “in the coming months”. He added that piped natural gas (PNG) connections are being provided within 15 days without any deposit to ease pressure on LPG demand.

According to officials, domestic supply has been given top priority, with companies maintaining sufficient stock for household consumption.

Supply cuts hit industry and commercial users

The prioritisation of domestic consumers has led to significant cuts in supply to other sectors:

Hotels, corporate canteens, guest houses and food processing units are receiving about 25% of their requirement

Industries such as steel, automobiles, textiles, chemicals and plastics are getting around 20%

Engineering, electronics and semiconductor sectors are also receiving roughly 20%

Overall gas supply stands at about 70% of pre-Iran war levels

Hospitals and educational institutions continue to receive 100% supply

Officials also clarified that hotels and restaurants cannot legally increase meal prices, such as thali rates, by ₹25 or more on the grounds of higher commercial gas prices.

Prices rise even as ‘no shortage’ claim holds

Even as authorities deny any shortage, PNG prices have been increased per standard cubic metre, while CNG prices for industries have risen by around ₹150 per MMBTU. In Morbi, CNG supply to the tiles industry has been completely halted.

Sanjeeb Behera, nodal officer at Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), said there is “no shortage of petrol, diesel, or LPG”. However, he noted that commercial LPG supply has been reduced by 30% to prioritise residential users. Pharmaceutical, dairy and processing industries are currently receiving about 70% of their required gas supply.

Overall supply remains constrained

Across sectors, gas availability remains below earlier levels, reflecting a broader supply adjustment even as the government and companies continue to assert that essential domestic demand is being met.