Government has begun drawing contingency plans to avert any shortage of domestic cooking gas as a result of go-slow agitation by employees of the country's largest oil company Indian Oil Corp.

State-owned Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd have been asked to bridge the shortfall in supplies arising out IOC's LPG bottling plants supplying just around 50 per cent of their normal volumes in northern, western and southern regions.

"All possible measures have been taken to avert supply disruption. Joint action is being taken by IOC along with HPCL and BPCL to maintain supplies," Petroleum Minister Ram Naik said.

IOC employees are on a work-to-rule agitation demanding additional pay incentives. The agitation would be followed by a two-day strike on March 25-26. The eastern region union of IOC is not party to the agitation.

Naik has sent an advisory to IOC "to ensure that the strike doesn't materalise and supplies are not disrupted."

"The consumers have the right to get uninterrupted supplies of essential commodities. On the occasion of World Consumer Rights Day, I appeal to oil sector employees that supplies should not be disrupted," he said.

The agitation may also affect petrol, diesel and Aviation Turbine Fuel supplies next week as tanker dispatches from depots and terminals have slowed down.

Loading of petrol and diesel tankers in the northern region, barring Rajasthan, has got curtailed by 30 to 50 per cent.