PATNA, April 11 -- To streamline LPG distribution during the wedding season and manage supply pressures arising from the ongoing West Asia conflict, the Bihar government has made it mandatory for caterers and cooks to register with oil marketing companies (OMCs). Individuals seeking gas cylinders for marriage functions must route their requests through the respective sub-divisional officers (SDOs), officials said on Thursday. According to guidelines issued by Upendra Kumar, special secretary in the food and consumer protection department, to district magistrates and general managers of OMCs, all registrations of caterers and cooks must be completed within seven days. The guidelines, issued days ahead of the wedding season beginning April 14 after the conclusion of khadmaas - considered an inauspicious period in the Hindu calendar - also strictly prohibit using 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinders for marriage functions. The move aims to prevent further strain on domestic LPG supplies, which are already experiencing delays. Officials said the state currently had an average backlog of around 4.5 days for domestic LPG refills, calculated from the booking date after the mandatory lock-in period of 25 days in urban areas and 45 days in rural areas between the last cylinder delivery and booking a refill. Under the new system, individuals seeking commercial LPG cylinders (19 kg) for marriage functions must apply to the OMCs through the SDO concerned....