Over 97 lakh LPG cylinders delivered in two days amid West Asia crisis
The Centre on Friday said adequate stocks of petrol, diesel and LPG are available across the country and urged citizens not to indulge in panic buying amid the evolving geopolitical situation in West Asia.
During an inter-ministerial media briefing at the National Media Centre in New Delhi, officials from the Ministries of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and External Affairs outlined measures being taken to maintain fuel supply, maritime operations and the safety of Indian nationals in the Gulf region.
The government said online LPG cylinder bookings rose to nearly 99% across the industry on Thursday, while more than 97 lakh LPG cylinders were delivered against bookings of around 87.66 lakh cylinders over the last two days.
Officials said no dry-outs had been reported at LPG distributorships and domestic LPG supply continued to be prioritised despite disruptions arising from the West Asia situation.
To prevent diversion and ensure smooth distribution, Delivery Authentication Code (DAC)-based deliveries increased to about 95%, the government said.
The Centre also highlighted ongoing efforts to promote cleaner and alternate fuel usage. More than 50,400 PNG consumers had surrendered their LPG connections through the MYPNGD.in portal till May 7, officials said.
The government said 100% supply was being ensured for domestic LPG, domestic PNG and CNG transport sectors, while additional measures had been introduced to rationalise supply and demand.
These include enhancing refinery production, increasing LPG booking intervals in urban and rural areas, expanding PNG connections and making alternate fuels such as kerosene and coal available.
Officials added that more than 2,000 raids were conducted across the country on Thursday to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG.
On the maritime front, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said more than 3,019 Indian seafarers had been safely repatriated so far from various locations across the Gulf region, including 20 in the last 48 hours.
The Directorate General of Shipping control room has handled over 8,700 calls and more than 19,000 emails since its activation, officials said.
The government stated that no incidents involving Indian vessels or Indian seafarers had been reported in the last 48 hours and port operations across the country remained normal.
The Ministry of External Affairs said outreach efforts with Gulf countries were continuing under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited the United Arab Emirates on May 7 and held discussions on bilateral cooperation and the regional situation.
The government said Indian embassies and consulates in the region remained operational with round-the-clock helplines to assist Indian nationals.
Officials added that flight operations from several Gulf countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, continued normally, while partial operations had resumed in Qatar, Iran and Israel.
The government reiterated its appeal to citizens to rely only on official information and avoid spreading rumours related to fuel availability and the situation in West Asia.
