Availability of 5-kg cylinder doubled for migrant workers in TN, Pondy

CHENNAI: In a coordinated and proactive effort, the Oil Industry, under the guidance of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and in close coordination with the Government of Tamil Nadu, has intensified measures to ensure uninterrupted LPG availability across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, with a special focus on migrant labourers.

The initiative comes amid global supply disruptions linked to recent geopolitical developments, with the government taking timely steps to stabilise fuel supplies and protect domestic consumers.

According to an IOC press note, as part of these measures, the Government of India has doubled the daily availability of 5-kg Free Trade LPG (FTL) cylinders, which are particularly beneficial for migrant workers, daily wage earners, and other transient populations. In Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, this enhanced allocation is being effectively implemented through strong coordination with State Government departments, ensuring that the benefits reach the intended sections without delay.

In key industrial and urban clusters such as Chennai, Thiruvallur, Coimbatore, Erode, and Tirupur, the Oil Industry is adopting a focused field-level approach to directly reach migrant labourers. LPG distributors are being deployed to migrant labour population areas — including industrial hubs, construction sites, and worker settlements — to ensure hassle-free availability of 5-kg cylinders.

These cylinders are being made available over-the-counter through existing points of sale such as petrol pumps and shops in migrant labour areas, as well as through on-ground sales campaigns. New 5-kg FTL connections are being sold with minimal documentation, requiring only a simple identity proof (Aadhar), thereby removing access barriers for migrant workers, in addition to refills for existing customers. Availability of FTL cylinders has increased substantially since April 7, to about 70% more than pre-crisis levels. The Oil Industry is taking further steps to double the availability of 5-kg FTL cylinders to migrant populations.

VC Asokan, State Level Coordinator for the Oil Industry in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, reassured the public of seamless and uninterrupted LPG supplies through the Oil Marketing Companies (IOCL, BPCL, HPCL). He also confirmed that LPG supply across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry remains stable, with adequate stocks available at bottling plants and distributorships, and reaffirmed the easy availability and reach of 5-kg LPG cylinders to the migrant working population across the state.