LPG shortage will go away! Government took a break, now cheap fuel will be available at petrol pumps

The increasing tension and war-like situations in the Middle East have broken the back of energy supply all over the world. Its impact is visible on India too, but the Central Government has prepared a tremendous ‘backup plan’ to provide relief to the general public. In view of the increasing demand and possible shortage of LPG, the government has announced an emergency plan of 60 days. Under this, states and union territories will now be provided additional kerosene (kerosene) for cooking and lighting.

Interestingly, the government has decided to restart the supply of kerosene even in those 21 areas which were earlier declared ‘kerosene free’. The direct objective of this step is to ensure that if a household runs out of gas cylinder, they have an alternative means of cooking.

Oil will be available at selected petrol pumps

To make access easier for the general public, the Petroleum Ministry has taken a big decision. Now ‘Superior Kerosene Oil’ (SKO) can be sold at select petrol pumps even in kerosene-free areas. According to the government order, a maximum of two petrol pumps in every district (especially outlets of government companies) have been allowed to stock up to 5,000 liters of kerosene. To speed up the process, the government has also relaxed the licensing rules for dealers and transporters, although there will be no compromise on safety standards.

Additional quota of 48,000 kiloliters approved

The government has clarified that this special arrangement is only for domestic use like cooking and lighting in case of power outage. The Center has approved additional 48,000 kiloliters of kerosene over and above the prescribed quota for all states and union territories. States like Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat and Rajasthan have been instructed to supply this, while areas like Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh have currently denied the need for this quota.

Strict action on hoarding and black marketing

The administration is fully prepared to prevent any kind of disturbance in the supply chain. Recently the authorities have raided about 2,900 places across the country. During this period, strict action was taken against hoarders and around 1,000 gas cylinders were seized. The government has given strict instructions to the states to do daily monitoring and immediately refute any kind of rumor spreading on social media.

Steps towards PNG and supply management

A positive change is also being seen amid the fuel crisis. Petroleum Secretary Neeraj Mittal informed that till now about 6,000 PNG consumers have voluntarily surrendered their LPG connections, for which he expressed gratitude to the public. At present, the government has kept the domestic and transport sectors on priority. At present, industries are getting 80% of their requirement and fertilizer factories are getting 70-75% supply. Apart from this, preparations have also been completed to source additional LNG cargo from foreign markets.