Amid an unfolding energy crisis in the wake of the West Asian conflict, the government on Monday changed the domestic LPG cylinder refilling rule raising the refill period from 21 to 25 days.This even as top sources said India was in the process of ensuring LPG supplies from the US, Canada, Algeria, Australia and Norway. The government raised the minimum waiting period for booking LPG cylinders for domestic use from the current 21 days to 25 days to prevent hoarding.The decision, the sources said, would prevent black marketing with an average home consuming eight LPG cylinders of 14.2 kg per year. The sources said a refill was not usually needed in less than six weeks.“We have come across instances where people earlier booking LPG cylinders in 55 days had started booking in 15 days. So the booking period had to be revised,” a source said, explaining the move.Meanwhile, the National Restaurant Association of India today, in a letter to Oil and Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri, sought assurance of smooth supplies and warned of potential disruptions should supplies be erratic.The Bangalore Hotels Association said the supply of gas cylinders for commercial use had been stopped from today and hotels would be closed from tomorrow due to the gas supply being cut off. “Oil companies had said that there would be no disruption in gas supply for 70 days. However, the sudden stoppage of supply is a big blow to the hotel industry. Therefore, we expect the Union Ministers concerned to take immediate action in this regard and resume commercial gas supply and provide support to the hotel industry,” the association said.Back in Delhi, sources said efforts were on to ensure LPG supplies from players like UAE’s Adnoc, Algeria’s state-run oil firm Sonatarch and others. “The government has also ordered refineries to boost LPG output and ordered that priority be given to domestic LPG over commercial connections,” officials said. They said domestic consumers were a priority. On March 6, the government had invoked the Essential Services Management Act and directed oil companies to raise LPG production and prioritise domestic LPG.Hotel associations have, meanwhile, asked the government for clarity on diversion of supplies to domestic use. “We support the government objective of ensuring adequate LPG supply for households. At the same time, we request that commercial food establishments continue to receive uninterrupted LPG supply through the existing commercial cylinder distribution system,” Bangalore Hotels Association had said in a letter to Puri on March 7. LPG supplies are under strain on account of escalating tensions in West Asia and the fact that around 85 per cent of India’s LPG supplies come from the Gulf and pass through the now-closed Strait of Hormuz.Meanwhile, the National Restaurant Association of India, in a letter to Puri, said disruptions in commercial LPG supplies would cause a catastrophic closure of restaurants across India.Meanwhile, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry has issued orders to oil refineries for higher LPG production and using such extra production for domestic LPG use.