LPG Supply Delays Drive Households to Black Market, Prices Hit ₹4,000 Premium
Widespread delays in domestic LPG deliveries across Indian cities are forcing many households to turn to the black market, where cylinders are being sold at premiums of up to ₹4,000. A nationwide survey by LocalCircles found that 43% of households experienced delivery delays in the past week, while 8% admitted purchasing cylinders through unofficial channels to meet urgent needs. The findings highlight growing gaps between official bookings and actual supply.
According to the survey, 72% of respondents aware of black marketing in their area said middlemen were charging anywhere between ₹300 and ₹4,000 extra per cylinder, depending on urgency and availability. Reports of inflated prices have surfaced from regions including Pune and parts of Tamil Nadu. Consumers cited delayed deliveries, booking failures, and discrepancies in confirmed orders as major triggers behind the surge in informal sales.
Supply chain irregularities have further aggravated the crisis. Some consumers reported “ghost deliveries,” where cylinders were marked as delivered without reaching homes, while others were unable to book refills at all. Authorities have flagged diversion of subsidised cylinders and distributor-level leakages as key issues, with enforcement agencies in Delhi and other regions seizing thousands of illegally stocked cylinders and taking action against erring agencies.
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