West Bengal rolls out SOP to manage LPG distribution as concerns rise: Report

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The government of West Bengal has introduced a Standard Operating Procedure for the handling and distribution of Liquefied Petroleum Gas as concerns grow over the availability of cooking gas in the state, Telegraph reported on Thursday.

Under the plan, the administration has placed top priority on supplying LPG to domestic consumers and essential institutions. These include hospitals and healthcare centres, along with Anganwadi facilities, Integrated Child Development Services centres, schools, colleges and government hostels.

Authorities have also established a round-the-clock control room at Nabanna to track LPG stocks, availability and movement across districts. The control room will coordinate with district administrations, distributors and oil marketing companies to address supply bottlenecks.

To oversee the implementation of the plan, a state-level committee led by the chief secretary has been formed. The panel includes the Director General of Police, ADG (Law and Order), Commissioner of Police (Kolkata), ADG (Enforcement Branch) and ADG (IB).

Apart from monitoring LPG distribution, the committee will also review the availability of other fuels, including CNG, diesel, petrol and kerosene to ensure smooth supply.

The SOP indicates that commercial LPG distribution may be graded or regulated based on overall availability rather than being halted entirely. The administration said this approach is intended to keep essential food services and small establishments operational.

Institutions have also been encouraged to adopt fuel conservation practices wherever possible. Oil marketing companies have been instructed to maintain adequate LPG supplies for domestic consumers in both rural and urban areas.

In addition, LPG bottling plants have been advised to increase the number of delivery vehicles and the frequency of dispatches. Authorities have also recommended designating LPG tankers as emergency transport vehicles and creating green corridors to speed up their movement.