Under a pilot scheme, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister M. Veerappa Moily has announced the launch of a new 5-kg LPG cylinder scheme in four metro cities and allowed inter-company LPG portability in 24 cities across the country on Saturday.

The 5-kg cylinders will be sold only through company-owned and company-operated (COCO) outlets of public sector oil marketing companies at 11 sites including three in Bangalore, two in Mumbai, three in Kolkata and three in Chennai. The scheme will been expanded of the pilot project is successful.

The government also announced the launch of LPG portability scheme launched on Saturday, under which the consumers will be able to easily switch suppliers by simply registering on the LPG company's website. The portability scheme is available in 24 cities.

Mr. Moily said that the Vijay Kelkar Committee, which was constituted by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister, is working on a plan to make the country self-sufficient in oil and natural gas by 2030. The ministry has set up an oil refinery at Barmer in Rajasthan, where huge oil and natural gas reserves were detected. The Hindustan Petroleum Corporation is in charge of developing the project.