In a major crackdown on hoarding and panic buying triggered by the West Asia conflict, the Government of India on Saturday night issued a gazette notification banning the use of LPG cylinders for households with Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections. As per the amended ‘LPG (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order, 2026,’ consumers who have access to piped gas are now legally prohibited from retaining or refilling domestic LPG cylinders.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has directed Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to stop accepting refill bookings from PNG customers immediately. Consumers are urged to surrender their existing LPG connections at the earliest. This move is designed to divert conserved LPG stocks to households in remote and rural areas that do not have access to PNG networks, thereby ensuring equitable distribution during the current energy crunch. To encourage the shift, city gas distributors like IGL have announced special waivers for reactivating dormant PNG lines.