New Delhi, March 15: The government on Saturday said domestic LPG production has been increased by about 31% to ensure uninterrupted cooking gas supply amid the evolving geopolitical situation in West Asia.
The update was shared during the fourth inter-ministerial media briefing involving officials from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Officials said all refineries in the country are operating at high capacity while maintaining adequate crude oil inventories. India remains self-sufficient in petrol and diesel production and does not require imports to meet domestic demand.
Authorities also confirmed that there have been no cases of fuel dry-outs at petrol pumps nationwide and urged consumers to avoid panic buying.
However, LPG demand has risen sharply in recent days due to panic booking. Daily LPG bookings have increased from an average of 55.7 lakh to about 88.8 lakh.
Despite the surge in demand, no supply shortages have been reported at LPG distributorships. The government has prioritised LPG supply for households and essential sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions.
Commercial LPG cylinders have also been made available to state governments for priority distribution where required.
To ease pressure on LPG supplies, industries, hotels and restaurants in the National Capital Region have been temporarily allowed to use alternative fuels such as biomass pellets, coal or kerosene where natural gas is not available.
State governments have also stepped up enforcement action against hoarding and black marketing of LPG cylinders through inspections and raids.
Officials further said no new maritime incidents involving Indian seafarers have been reported in the past 24 hours, and all Indian nationals working on ships in the region remain safe.
