The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on Sunday said there is no shortage of LPG, petrol or diesel across India, urging citizens not to resort to panic buying as adequate stocks are available at LPG distributorships and fuel stations.
In a statement, the ministry said there have been no reports of dry-outs at LPG distributorships across the country and that fuel supplies continue to remain stable.
It also noted that LPG bookings have declined in recent days, indicating normalisation of demand. Around 77 lakh bookings were recorded on Saturday, compared with 88.8 lakh bookings on March 13.
The ministry said several states and Union Territories, including Bihar, Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan, have issued orders to allocate non-domestic LPG cylinders in accordance with government guidelines to ensure priority supply where needed.
Commercial LPG cylinders have also been placed at the disposal of state governments for priority distribution and are now available to consumers across 30 states and Union Territories, the ministry said.
Similarly, oil marketing companies have reported no instances of fuel dry-outs at petrol pumps, and regular supplies of petrol and diesel are being maintained.
“All refineries are operating at high capacity and maintaining adequate crude oil inventories. Our country remains self-sufficient in the production of petrol and diesel and no imports of petrol and diesel are required to meet domestic demand,” the ministry said.
The government added that natural gas supplies to priority sectors continue uninterrupted, including 100 per cent supply to piped natural gas (PNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG). Supplies to industrial and commercial consumers are currently being regulated at about 80 per cent.
To reduce pressure on LPG consumption, commercial users in urban areas have been encouraged to switch to PNG connections through city gas distribution companies.
Also read: Commercial LPG supply begins in 28 states; raids stepped up
A review meeting involving senior officials of the ministry and stakeholders was held on March 14 to assess the progress of PNG connections and LPG-to-PNG conversion.
Meanwhile, state governments have been asked to strengthen enforcement to prevent hoarding and black marketing of fuel.
Authorities have carried out raids in several states, including Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, to check illegal storage and sale of LPG cylinders.
The government said domestic LPG production at refineries has been maximised and several supply- and demand-side measures have been implemented to ensure uninterrupted supply.
An amendment to the LPG Control Order issued on March 14 now requires consumers with PNG connections to surrender domestic LPG connections and bars new LPG connections for PNG users.
To promote equitable distribution, LPG booking intervals have been revised to 25 days in urban areas and up to 45 days in rural regions.
The Centre has also allocated an additional 48,000 kilolitres of kerosene to states and Union Territories to support alternative fuel requirements.
Public sector oil marketing companies are promoting digital LPG bookings, discouraging panic buying and keeping LPG distributorships open on Sundays to ensure smooth supply, the ministry said.
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