NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas confirmed on Sunday that there are no reports of fuel “dry-outs” at LPG distributorships or petrol pumps across India. Despite the ongoing maritime disruptions in West Asia, the government assured citizens that the country remains self-sufficient in petrol and diesel production, with refineries operating at high capacity to maintain adequate domestic inventories.
In a comprehensive update, the Ministry noted a stabilizing trend in consumer behavior, with daily LPG bookings dropping to 77 lakh on Saturday from 88.8 lakh on March 13. To ensure equitable distribution, the government has rationalized LPG booking intervals to 25 days in urban areas and 45 days in rural regions. Furthermore, a new amendment to the LPG Control Order now mandates that households with a Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connection must surrender their domestic LPG cylinders, a move designed to prioritize bottled gas for rural and underserved areas.
The government has also empowered State administrations to take strict enforcement measures against black marketing. Raids are already underway in states like Bihar and Andhra Pradesh to curb the hoarding of LPG cylinders. To ease the pressure on domestic cooking gas, an additional 48,000 KL of kerosene has been allocated to States, and sectors like hospitality are being encouraged to utilize alternative fuels such as coal and wood for traditional cooking needs.
While natural gas supply for essential services (PNG and CNG) remains at 100%, industrial and commercial supplies are currently being regulated at approximately 80%. Officials emphasized that there is no need for panic buying, as state-run Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) are keeping distributorships open even on Sundays to facilitate a smooth supply chain. Urban commercial consumers are being strongly urged to transition to PNG connections via streamlined digital application portals to further insulate the domestic market from global supply shocks.
