New Delhi, April 29 -- As the war in West Asia continues to disrupt energy markets, several Indian states have reported cases of panic buying amid anxiety over a likely LPG price hike starting May 1.

Both domestic and commercial LPG cylinders have witnessed at least one hike each since March. These changes, media reports suggested, are likely to be accompanied by tweaks to the booking and delivery systems as the government plans tighter checks on the distribution of cooking gas.

To shield consumers from rising global oil prices linked to the Middle East crisis, the government has cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs.10 per litre while raising export levies on diesel and aviation turbine fuel.

Since the start of the US-Iran war on...