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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:

The Union government has directed oil marketing companies to uniformly allow domestic LPG consumers in both urban and rural areas to book refill cylinders once every 25 days, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi said on Monday.

The move removes the earlier difference in booking intervals between urban and rural consumers. Gopi said the revised rule was being implemented immediately following an improvement in the country’s LPG supply situation and a significant reduction in the refill backlog.

According to the minister, the government had earlier imposed different booking intervals because of pressure on LPG supplies following the disruption caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

Under that arrangement, consumers in urban areas could book a refill after 25 days, while the interval for rural consumers was 45 days.

The Centre has now relaxed the restriction and brought both categories under a common 25-day booking cycle.

Gopi said the Petroleum Ministry had communicated the decision to oil marketing companies and instructed them to implement the revised interval immediately.

The decision is expected to benefit households in rural areas that had faced a longer waiting period for domestic LPG refills.

The government has been monitoring domestic LPG supplies amid concerns over availability and demand. The latest relaxation follows what the Centre described as an improvement in supply conditions and a substantial reduction in pending refill bookings.

The minister said the revised arrangement would apply to all domestic LPG consumers irrespective of whether they live in urban or rural areas.