The Congress on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over India’s increasing dependence on crude oil, LPG and natural gas imports, questioning the government’s push for self-reliance.
"The gas grandly promised by Mr Modi has remained that, gas," Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said on X, pointing to India's dependence on natural gas imports.
"Between 2014-15 and 2024-25, India's dependence on crude oil imports went up from 84% to 90%.
Between 2014-15 and 2024-25, India's dependence on LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) imports went up from 46% to 62%," Ramesh said, adding that "all this when the mantra was supposed to be Atmanirbharta, or self-reliance." The natural gas story is murkier, he said.
"On June 26, 2005, the then CM of Gujarat (Modi) boasted that the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation had discovered India's biggest gas reserve in the deep waters of the Krishna-Godavari river basin. Mr Modi announced that this would make India energy independent," Ramesh said.
He claimed that five CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) reports between 2011 and 2016 were to reveal later that this was a "Rs 20,000 crore scam, which was subsequently covered by the prime minister, forcing Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation's merger into Oil and Natural Gas Corporation in August 2017".
The remarks come amid reports of panic buying and long queues at petrol pumps and LPG distributors.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas released stock details for the first time since the West Asia conflict escalated, assuring citizens of adequate availability.
The government said India has about 60 days of crude oil stock cover and has secured one month’s LPG supply.
It stressed there is no shortage of petrol, diesel or LPG, calling such reports a "deliberate misinformation campaign" aimed at triggering panic buying.
State-run oil marketing companies also reiterated that supplies remain stable and petrol pumps across the country are fully stocked with no rationing.
Meanwhile, the Centre on Friday announced a Rs 10 per litre cut in central excise duty on petrol and diesel for domestic consumption, even as it imposed fresh export duties on petroleum products in a bid to shield consumers from a sharp spike in global crude oil prices triggered by the ongoing West Asia crisis.
(With inputs from PTI)