'Situation remains concerning but domestic LPG supply normal': Centre
What's the story
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has assured that the supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is normal, despite a concerning situation. Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the ministry, said at an Inter-Ministerial Briefing on West Asia's recent developments that "The LPG situation remains concerning but supply is on normal level." She requested people not to panic and to consider alternative fuel sources.
Production status
7,500 consumers have shifted to PNG
Sharma also said that around 7,500 consumers have shifted from LPG to PNG. "The situation is still worrying due to the war, but no dry-out has been reported at our distributors. Delivery is being done through authentication code. There is a significant reduction in panic booking and yesterday we received about 55 lakh refill booking requests," she said.
Illegal activities
Urges state governments to intensify monitoring
Sharma urged state governments to intensify monitoring against black marketing and illegal hoarding of LPG cylinders. She said 4,500 raids have been conducted across the country to curb such activities. The ministry also said it has noticed a slight increase in premium petrol prices. She said petrol and diesel prices have been deregulated and the prices have been increased by oil marketing companies, assuring that common consumers will not be affected.
Safety measures
Joint media briefing
During the joint media briefing, senior officials from various ministries assured preparedness across sectors. Aseem R Mahajan, Joint Secretary (Gulf) in the External Affairs Ministry, said the government's priority is the safety and security of Indian nationals in West Asia. He added that control rooms are operational and Indian missions are functioning round-the-clock with necessary advisories.