New Delhi, March 24 -- Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is one of the products facing a global supply crunch today, thanks to the Iran war. The result is more than a cooking gas shortage in India. In order to prioritize the availability of cooking gas for homes, the government reduced supplies to commercial establishments. Although strictures were eased a little, scarcity-hit eateries have shut down in several towns and cities.

Other impacts have been in evidence too. A large proportion of the urban poor who live in slums and informal rental housing fail to qualify for LPG supply from oil marketing companies, leave alone subsidized connections under the Centre's Ujjwala Scheme; they mostly buy their LPG in 5kg cylinders filled with gas mean...