The Government said that the domestic LPG supply across the country remains normal and no dry out has been reported at any LPG distributor across the country. Addressing the Inter-Ministerial briefing on Recent Developments in West Asia in New Delhi on Tuesday, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Sujata Sharma, said that despite the increased prices of crude oil and LPG in the international market, the government strived to ensure the domestic supply of LPG without any disruption.
Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Port, Shipping and Waterways, Mukesh Mangal, said that the reduction of 97 percent in container dwell time at western ports has brought relief to the exporters. He added that the average yard occupancy has also been reduced to 60 percent from 80 percent, highlighting better coordination between shipping lines and exporters during the conflict. Mr Mangal said that all Indian seafarers are safe in the Persian Gulf region. He stated that all Indian vessels and crew currently in the Persian Gulf region are being closely monitored by the government.
Addressing the media, Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal said that the government is following the developments in the West Asia region very closely. Noting the visits of External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to the UAE and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to Saudi Arabia, he said that the government has also maintained India’s outreach to the countries in the Gulf region. He added that Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has also held multiple engagements with counterparts across the Gulf. Mr Jaiswal said that these coordinated efforts are aimed at addressing key shared concerns between India and Gulf nations, including energy security, the welfare of the Indian diaspora, and other issues of mutual interest.
Addressing the briefing, Additional Secretary (Gulf) at the Ministry of External Affairs, Aseem Mahajan, said that twelve Indian seafarers, who were stuck in Iraq, arrived in Mumbai yesterday following the opening of Iraq’s airspace. He added that Indian missions in Baghdad rendered all assistance to them and facilitated their return to India. He further informed that the flights are operating from various airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman to different destinations in India.
Briefing the media, Director at the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Puja Rustagi, said that the milk procurement, processing and supply across the country remain uninterrupted amid the ongoing West Asia crisis. She added that the prices of milk and milk products are stable. Ms Rustagi added that no supply disruption has occurred in the market, and payments to dairy farmers have continued throughout the crisis period. She further noted that the department has been closely monitoring the situation and has taken a series of proactive measures to ensure smooth operations in the dairy value chain.
Replying a question regarding the Fire Incident which took place in HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited yesterday, Ms Sharma said that the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has formed a team to probe the fire incident, and the team has already reached Barmer, Rajasthan, to investigate the incident.
