India Assures Stable LPG Supply Amid Crisis

The government has said that domestic LPG supply across India is stable, and there are no shortages at distribution centres despite disruptions caused by the ongoing crisis in West Asia.

At a briefing in New Delhi, Sujata Sharma said that the government is taking several steps to manage supply smoothly. These include increasing domestic LPG production, extending booking periods in both cities and villages, and using a Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) system to prevent misuse of cylinders.

She added that the use of the DAC system has already crossed 92%, even though the target was 90%. She also said that commercial LPG supply has recovered to about 70%. In the last few days, the demand for 5 kg cylinders has gone up. Since April 3, around 7,000 awareness camps have been held, leading to the sale of about one lakh small cylinders.

Officials also shared updates on shipping and oil transport. Mandeep Singh Randhawa said that the Indian-flagged oil tanker Deshgarima safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz carrying over 97,000 metric tonnes of crude oil.

However, he also said that two Indian ships, VLCC Sanmar Herald and bulk carrier Jag Arnav, reported firing incidents while passing through the same route and returning to the Persian Gulf. No crew members were injured, and authorities are closely monitoring the situation.

The Ministry of External Affairs said it is also keeping a close watch on developments in the Gulf region. Assem R. Mahajan said that the government is focused on ensuring the safety and welfare of Indian citizens in the region.

He added that a special control room is working continuously with Indian embassies abroad to provide help and respond quickly to any issues.