Last Updated:March 11, 2026, 18:54 IST

HOCL said the disruption stems from a Government of India directive requiring public sector oil companies to channel LPG supplies exclusively toward domestic consumers.

HOCL cautioned that a prolonged LPG shortage could result in significant production losses.

Hindustan Organic Chemicals Ltd (HOCL) said it has been forced to reduce production at its Kochi manufacturing facility after a disruption in bulk liquefied petroleum gas supply from Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL)- the latest industrial casualty of a government directive prioritising domestic LPG consumers amid tightening supply conditions.

Read more: Gas Stations Shut In Bengaluru, 75% Drop In Hyderabad: How Cities Are Coping With LPG Crisis Today

In a regulatory filing, HOCL said the disruption stems from a Government of India directive requiring public sector oil companies to channel LPG supplies exclusively toward domestic consumers. Acting on the directive, BPCL- which supplies bulk LPG to HOCL under an existing agreement- informed the chemical manufacturer that a force majeure event had occurred, effectively suspending its supply obligations.

Read more: ‘Massacre Of Girls’: Italian PM Meloni Condemns Deadly Iran School Strike

Buffer Stock Running Out

HOCL warned that its LPG buffer stock at the Kochi facility- its sole manufacturing unit- would be exhausted by Monday evening. In response, the company has already reduced the production load at its Phenol and Cumene plants and said it would temporarily shut down its PRU unit the same day. If supplies do not resume, other downstream units are expected to follow within two days. The Kochi plant manufactures phenol, acetone and hydrogen peroxide. The company said its hydrogen peroxide plant would continue to operate normally despite the supply disruption.

Read more: ‘Don’t Panic, Don’t Hoard’: Centre To Ensure 100% Domestic LPG Supply Amid West Asia Crisis

Warning Of Cascading Costs

HOCL cautioned that a prolonged LPG shortage could result in significant production losses, as well as additional costs associated with safely shutting down and subsequently restarting plant operations- expenses that could weigh on the company’s financials if the situation is not resolved quickly.

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Last Updated:March 11, 2026, 16:42 IST

The government has begun consultations for the 8th CPC to review salaries, pensions, and allowances for central employees and retirees. Suggestions are open until April 30.

8th Pay Commission.

8th Pay Commission: The government has started the consultation process for the 8th Central Pay Commission, which will review salaries, pensions and allowances for millions of central government employees and retirees.

The Ministry of Finance has invited suggestions from employees, pensioners, staff unions and other stakeholders as part of the exercise. Inputs can be submitted through an online portal until April 30, 2026.

The Terms of Reference for the commission were notified on November 3, 2025, and the panel has been given 18 months to submit its recommendations. Once the report is submitted and approved by the government, it could lead to a revision in pay structures and pension benefits.

The proposed revision is expected to affect around 50 lakh central government employees and nearly 69 lakh pensioners.

What Is The 8th Pay Commission?

Pay commissions are constituted periodically by the government to review the salary structure of central government employees and recommend changes based on inflation, economic conditions and fiscal capacity.

India’s first pay commission was set up in 1946, and since then seven such panels have revised pay and allowances.

Under the 7th Pay Commission, implemented in 2016, the minimum basic salary of central government employees was increased to Rs 18,000 per month, while the maximum basic salary was fixed at Rs 2.5 lakh.

How Salaries Have Changed Over Time

Each pay commission has significantly revised government salaries over the decades.

The 1st Pay Commission (1946-47) fixed the minimum basic salary at Rs 55, while the maximum salary was Rs 2,000.

The 2nd Pay Commission (1957-59) raised the minimum salary to Rs 80, with the maximum reaching Rs 3,000.

The 3rd Pay Commission (1972-73) increased the minimum pay to Rs 196, while the maximum salary was set at Rs 3,500.

The 4th Pay Commission (1986) raised the minimum basic salary to Rs 750 and the maximum to Rs 8,000.

Under the 5th Pay Commission (1996), the minimum salary increased to Rs 2,550, while the maximum rose to Rs 26,000.

The 6th Pay Commission (2006) pushed the minimum basic pay to Rs 7,000, with the maximum salary reaching Rs 80,000.

Finally, the 7th Pay Commission (2016) raised the minimum basic salary to Rs 18,000 and the maximum basic pay to Rs 2.5 lakh.

Will Minimum Salary Rise To Rs 46,000?

There has been speculation that the minimum basic salary could rise significantly under the 8th Pay Commission, depending on the fitment factor used to revise pay.

Some estimates suggest that if the fitment factor is set at a higher level, the minimum basic salary could increase substantially from the current Rs 18,000, potentially crossing Rs 40,000.

However, government officials have clarified that no final decision has been taken on the revised pay levels.

Long Process Before Pay Hike

The government has also said that financial provisions for implementing the new pay structure will only be made after the commission submits its report and the recommendations are approved.

For now, the consultation phase marks the first step in what is expected to be a lengthy process before any changes in salaries or pensions are implemented.

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The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia sharply increased oil production in February ahead of US and Israeli strikes on Iran and kept its forecasts for relatively strong global oil demand growth this year.

Saudi Arabia ​boosted output and exports as part of a contingency plan in case any US ​strike on Iran disrupted Middle East supplies, sources familiar with the plan said ⁠in February. The attack came on February 28 and the ensuing conflict has disrupted oil ​exports, forced production stoppages and sent prices soaring.

OPEC, in a monthly report on its website, said ​that Saudi Arabia told the group its February supply to the market was 10.111 million barrels per day, while production reached 10.882m bpd. The kingdom reported January output of 10.10m bpd.

Saudi Arabia has long intervened ​in oil markets, adding barrels during disruptions or curbing output when it sees oversupply. The ​February rise echoed a contingency plan last year when it moved more oil to storage, the sources said last ‌month.

OPEC also ⁠said output by the wider OPEC+, which includes other producers such as Russia, averaged 42.72m bpd in February, up 445,000 bpd from January, citing secondary sources.

Read More: OPEC+ mulls larger oil output boost

“Supply to market” usually covers exports plus domestic refinery and power-plant use, excluding ​oil shifted into storage. ​As such, Saudi Arabia’s ⁠February supply to the market stayed close to its OPEC+ quota, even as production ran well above the target.

OPEC left unchanged its forecast that world ​oil demand will grow by 1.38m bpd this year. Its ​2026 demand estimate ⁠remains higher than those of other analysts, including the International Energy Agency.

Also Read: Oil crisis: Is world better placed than in 1973?

“Ongoing geopolitical developments warrant close monitoring, although their impact, if any, on the growth forecast may be too early to determine,” OPEC said ⁠in ​the report, referring to economic growth.

The Saudi and OPEC increases ​in February came despite OPEC+ agreeing to keep output targets steady for the first quarter of the year.