Underlining the need to maintain uninterrupted LPG supply for key hospitality, healthcare, and education sectors across Leh and Kargil, Chief Secretary of Ladakh Ashish Kundra on Thursday stressed harnessing the power of digital tools for streamlining commercial LPG distribution through a centralized, Google-based monitoring system.
Chairing a high-level meeting, Kundra emphasized the use of Google Sheets/Excel-linked data systems to track supply in real time, enhance transparency, and ensure equitable allocation across key sectors across Ladakh.
The Chief Secretary reviewed the status of the existing data management system, including dispatch records, auto-populated distribution entries, and district-wise supply details, particularly for Leh and Kargil districts.
Emphasizing the need for proper documentation and real-time monitoring, the Chief Secretary directed that daily dispatch and distribution data, especially for the hotel sector, be maintained systematically. He instructed the concerned departments to ensure that lifting data, market-wise supply, and daily allocation records are updated regularly in the digital database for better oversight and transparency.
During the review, it was decided that 70 percent of the available commercial LPG quota shall be reserved for hotels, while the remaining 30 percent shall be allocated to other commercial consumers, keeping in view the current demand pattern and sectoral requirements.
The Chief Secretary further instructed the Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) to issue necessary orders based on the consolidated average daily distribution data from April to June of the previous year, so that future allocations can be made on a rational and need-based basis.
In order to regulate supply and avoid undue pressure on the existing quota, the Chief Secretary also directed that new commercial LPG registrations/connections for hotels shall remain temporarily closed until further review. He also took stock of LPG reservation and supply requirements for key public service sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions.
Himanshu Sharma, State Level Coordinator (SLC), Oil Industry, J&K and Ladakh, joined the meeting virtually and assured the administration that the oil industry would work closely with the UT Administration to address all supply and distribution-related concerns in a timely manner.
Representatives from IOCL, BPCL, and HPCL, along with other stakeholders from the oil and LPG sector, raised several operational concerns during the meeting. These included issues related to criteria for supply to hotels, required documentation, consumption assessment, OTP-based delivery challenges in remote areas, and concerns regarding black marketing and misuse.
The Chief Secretary assured all stakeholders that these issues would be taken up with the concerned authorities and resolved through appropriate administrative intervention and policy support.