The government has said domestic LPG supply across the country is smooth and no dry out has been reported at any distributor. Addressing an inter-ministerial briefing in New Delhi, Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Sujata Sharma, said that the Government is ensuring that supplies of domestic LPG continue without any disruption amid the evolving situation in West Asia.
She said that home delivery of LPG cylinders is being facilitated and advised consumers to opt online booking and avoid rushing to distributor showrooms directly. Ms Sharma added that commercial LPG supply has been restored up to 70 per cent, and in April so far, over 1.47 lakh LPG cylinders have been sold. She noted that as of yesterday, more than 81 thousand 5 kg cylinders were sold, and over 1.33 lakh 5 kg cylinders have been sold so far through awareness camps.
The Secretary further added that in terms of natural gas, around 5.27 lakh PNG connections have been gasified. She ensured that additional infrastructure has been developed for over 2.6 lakh more connections, with around 5.97 lakh new consumers’ registrations.
She underlined that Petrol and diesel supplies in the country are also adequate, and no dry-out has been reported at any petrol pump. Ms Sharma stressed that due to rumours, panic buying has been observed in some areas and assured that supplies are sufficient and that there has been no increase in diesel prices and urged people not to engage in panic buying. The Secretary further informed that crude oil inventories are sufficient, and refineries are operating at optimal capacity.
Director in the Ministry of Ports and Shipping and Waterways, Mandeep Singh Randhawa, said that the Government continues to engage with every stakeholder to ensure the welfare of all Indian seafarers and uninterrupted maritime operations. He informed that Indian seafarers in the Gulf region are safe and no incident involving any Indian flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours.
Mr Randhawa informed that DigiShipping control room has handled over 7500 calls and more than 16000 emails since its activation. The Ministry has facilitated the safe repatriation of more than 2700 Indian seafarers so far, including 49 in the last 24 hours.
Additional Secretary (Gulf) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Assem R. Mahajan said that the government’s efforts are focused on ensuring the safety, security and welfare of the Indian community in the region. He said the Ministry is in constant touch with state governments and Union Territories for information sharing.
He further added that the safety of Indian seafarers in the region is of high priority to the government. Mr Mahajan informed that around 12.38 lakh passengers have travelled from the region to India since February 28.
Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, said the Ministry is closely following all developments in regard to the West Asia crisis.
