PATNA, March 25 -- The mandatory waiting period between receiving one cylinder and booking the next for rural domestic LPG consumers has been reduced from 45 days to 25 days, bringing it at par with urban norms, state officials said on Tuesday. However, this waiting period has been brought down for non-Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) consumers. PMUY consumers are those who were provided deposit-free LPG connections to women from low-income households. The pan-India decision, aimed at curbing panic bookings and ensuring equitable distribution of LPG among households, was disseminated during a high-level review meeting on the state's gas supply and distribution system chaired by chief secretary Pratyaya Amrit on Tuesday. Alongside this, the supply of commercial LPG cylinders has been increased to 50%, up from the earlier 20%, through a letter issued by Dheeraj Mittal, secretary, ministry of petroleum and natural gas, on March 21, in view of improvements in the supply chain. The rider, however, attached with it was that commercial and industrial LPG consumers will be allotted quota within the total allocation of 50% for the state only if they apply for PNG (piped natural gas) with the city gas distribution entity in their city. The move is expected to ease pressure on commercial establishments and stabilise overall availability. "All commercial and industrial LPG consumers shall have to register with oil marketing companies (OMCs) before they can be eligible to be allotted any commercial LPG from the overall 50% allocation," said the letter. Reviewing the situation, the chief secretary directed oil companies and district administrations to prioritise and expedite the delivery of all pending cylinder orders to minimise delays. Currently, the wait listed period for getting a domestic LPG refill, after booking it on the 26th day of receiving the last cylinder, had come down from five days to four days in Patna, said an official of the Indian Oil Company Limited, which has around 55% market share of domestic consumers in the state of Bihar....