The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on Thursday stressed that no LPG distributor in the country is currently facing a dry-out situation, with domestic supplies and cylinder deliveries continuing as scheduled.
Speaking at an inter-ministerial briefing on recent developments in West Asia, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said that while the overall regional situation remains a matter of concern, domestic consumer services remain stable and uninterrupted.
"On the issue of LPG, I would like to reiterate that the situation still remains a matter of concern. However, no LPG distributor is facing a dry-out situation at present… LPG supplies and cylinder deliveries for all domestic consumers are continuing as usual," Sharma said.
The Ministry reported significant progress in digital transitions, noting that nearly 94% of cylinder bookings are now being made online, while the delivery authentication code system has reached 76% efficiency.
Regarding commercial operations, Sharma noted that supplies were initially completely halted but have since been partially restored. "In the context of commercial LPG, allocation orders have been issued by about 17 state governments, and commercial LPG supplies have been provided to all states and union territories," she said.
To further stabilise the market, the central government proposed providing 10% additional commercial LPG and urged state governments to cooperate in the expansion of PNG networks. These initiatives have resulted in approximately 1.25 lakh new domestic, commercial, and industrial connections over the last two weeks.
"The Government of India has asked all state governments to extend cooperation in the expansion of PNG networks and has proposed providing 10% additional commercial LPG. Due to all these initiatives and efforts, around 1.25 lakh new domestic, commercial, and industrial connections have been provided in the last two weeks," Sharma noted.
The Ministry also confirmed a growing shift toward alternative fuels, as more than 5,600 domestic LPG users have shifted to PNG connections in the last three days.
Sharma emphasised that the government is making "every possible effort at all levels to ensure LPG is available to domestic consumers" and urged the public to rely only on official information to curb panic.
The Centre has also recently issued a directive to state governments to take stringent action against black marketing and hoarding. Sharma stated that control rooms have been established in approximately 31 states and union territories, with district-level monitoring committees active in about 25 regions. Several states have already conducted raids, registered FIRs, and made arrests related to black marketing.
"I request all consumers please do online booking and wait for your turn; there is no need to visit gas agencies unnecessarily," Sharma said. She noted that while panic booking has decreased, queues are still being seen at some distributors.
"People should not pay attention to rumours and should rely only on official information. Panic booking has decreased, but queues are still being seen at distributors. Hence, I request all consumers to book refills online," she added.
(With inputs from ANI)