The government on Monday said that supplies of domestic LPG and transportation fuels remain stable despite ongoing tensions in West Asia, and there are currently no plans to increase retail prices of petrol, diesel, or household LPG cylinders.
During an inter-ministerial briefing, officials from the Petroleum Ministry stated that fuel availability across the country is steady, with no reports of shortages at retail outlets. LPG demand remains strong, with online refill bookings reaching record levels. Delivery authentication rates stand at 94%, while commercial LPG sales have touched 215,000 tonnes and auto LPG sales 11,100 tonnes since April.
Smaller 5kg domestic LPG cylinders have achieved full distribution coverage, with 2.3 million units sold in a month. Government outreach efforts, including over 10,000 awareness camps, have contributed to an additional 176,000 cylinder sales.
Natural gas supply to fertiliser plants is operating at 98% capacity. Meanwhile, city gas distribution networks continue to expand, adding over 612,000 new PNG connections in March alone. Infrastructure expansion has enabled another 267,000 connections, taking total new PNG customers to 679,000, along with 43,760 LPG users switching to piped gas.
On the fuel front, petrol and diesel prices remain unchanged. Officials emphasized that crude oil inventories are adequate and refineries are functioning at optimal levels. Petrochemical outputs such as propylene (10,750 tonnes) and butyl acrylate (1,670 tonnes) have been supplied to key industries including pharmaceuticals, paints, and chemicals since April 9.
Regulatory enforcement has also intensified, with 1,570 inspections conducted, leading to over 3,000 show-cause notices and 350 penalties issued to oil marketing companies.
While global prices of crude oil, LPG, and natural gas have risen sharply, the government highlighted that retail consumers—who make up 90% of users, are being protected from price fluctuations. Domestic LPG prices, including 5kg cylinders, remain unchanged, though the price of commercial 5kg cylinders in Delhi has increased by ₹810.
Officials clarified that there is no current proposal to compensate oil marketing companies for under-recoveries. Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices have been adjusted for international flights, but domestic ATF rates remain stable.
To mitigate potential disruptions, the government is promoting alternative energy strategies such as increased kerosene allocation, improved coal supply for MSMEs, and accelerated adoption of green hydrogen and solar energy.
Authorities said they are closely monitoring the evolving situation in West Asia and remain in constant coordination with stakeholders to ensure uninterrupted energy supplies and safeguard consumers.
(With inputs from ANI)
