NEW DELHI, Mar 14: The Center on Saturday said the “LPG remained a matter of concern at this time” but stressed that no distribution center had reported any dry out, assuring that adequate supplies of crude oil, petrol, diesel and LPG were available in the country amid a widening West Asia conflict.
India is the world’s second-largest buyer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), 90 percent of which passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit chokepoint where traffic has effectively come to a standstill.
Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing and Oil Refinery) in the Petroleum Ministry, said India’s crude oil supply remains sufficient and refineries were operating at full capacity. “Our crude supply is sufficient, and our refineries are operating at full capacity. There are no dry-out reports at retail outlets, and sufficient petrol and diesel are available,” she said, adding that India produces enough petrol and diesel domestically to meet its needs.
She said state governments and district administrations were closely monitoring the fuel supply situation. Sharma noted that several Chief Ministers, including those of Haryana and Goa, have already held review meetings with officials.
On LPG supply, Sharma said the situation remained stable despite the geopolitical challenges, but warned against panic booking by consumers. “Yesterday, we reported around 75-76 lakh LPG bookings. That number has now increased to nearly 88 lakh. This is clearly due to panic booking,” she said, urging citizens to book cylinders only when necessary.
“There is an excessive amount of panic booking for LPG. Please book only when you actually need it,” she underlined. She clarified that booking restrictions remain in place, with a minimum gap of 25 days between bookings in urban areas and 45 days in rural areas.
Sharma also appealed to consumers to use digital platforms for LPG bookings and avoid visiting distributors or standing in queues. “There is no need for panic – neither for booking nor for cylinders. Oil marketing companies are delivering cylinders to homes and will continue to do so,” she added.
The decision, said the official, regarding the supply of cylinders to commercial consumers would be taken in consultation with the respective state governments. The official said bookings for commercial cylinders have begun in all states. The official further said raids were being conducted continuously to curb black marketing of cylinders, adding that the state governments have a crucial role to play in this.
Joint teams, including representatives from the oil companies, have been formed in several states. “On March 13, Oil Marketing Companies carried out over 1,300 surprise inspections. In Uttar Pradesh, surprise inspections were conducted at 1,400 locations,” the official said.
Two Indian-flagged vessels carrying LPG from the Gulf countries safely crossed the war-hit Strait of Hormuz early on Saturday morning, a senior Shipping Ministry official said. LPG carriers Shivalik and Nanda Devi are now headed to Mundra and Kandla ports in Gujarat, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary in Ministry of Shipping, told reporters.
The vessels are carrying 92,700 tonnes of LPG and are likely to dock at Indian ports on March 16/17, he said. The two vessels were among the 24 ships that were stranded on the west side of the strait since the war broke out in the region.
The Union Petroleum Ministry on Friday said the supply of LPG to domestic households across India remained uninterrupted, with consistent deliveries also being ensured for hospitals and educational institutions. Earlier on Thursday, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri assured Parliament that India’s energy supplies remain secure despite major global disruptions caused by the Iran conflict and subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
(Rohit Kumar)
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