Govt Reports 30% Boost in LPG Production, Urges Citizens To Avoid Panic Buying
Oil ministry urges citizens not to panic, book LPG, petrol and diesel supplies are stable
New Delhi: Amid reports of a shortage of LPG cylinders in the country due to the ongoing West Asia conflicts, the government on Friday said that LPG production is up by 30 percent, and urged citizens to get in touch with their local distributors to enable smooth supply of cooking cylinders. It also appealed to all fellow citizens not to panic and to refrain from panic booking, according to a senior official in the oil ministry.
During an inter-ministerial briefing as part of government measures, Sujata Sharma, joint secretary (marketing & oil refinery) at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, also assured the public, saying that petrol and diesel supplies remain stable and available at all fuel stations. However, she agreed that LPG is an issue of concern since a major portion of the consumption comes from the strait of Hormuz.
“Despite this, no dry out has been observed so far at any of our 25,000 distributors. India remains self-sufficient in the production of petrol and diesel and LPG output is up by 30 percent and the country has a refining capacity of 258 million metric tons. All refineries in the country are currently operating at 100 percent capacity or higher and have adequate crude oil inventories. I would like to appeal to all fellow citizens not to give credence to rumours and to refrain from engaging in panic buying,” she said.
The joint secretary also said that states have been asked to identify specific locations within their districts for the distribution of kerosene — specifically the additional allocation of 48,000 KL that the government has sanctioned, over and above the regular quota. “To activate alternative fuel options, Coal India has already issued orders to ensure that coal is made available to small, medium, and other consumers...I appeal to all fellow citizens not to panic and to refrain from panic-booking,” remarked the bureaucrat.
She further said that officials from oil marketing companies (OMCs) have been activated for surprise inspection for hoarding. “Commercial cylinders have been provided to the state govt for them to distribute it to priority consumers. I request citizens to not panic, and use online portals like IVRS, SMS booking, WhatsApp booking and mobile app of OMCs to book LPG cylinders,” she said.
