The government has assured an uninterrupted fuel supply to households, hospitals, educational institutions, and other essential services. Domestic LPG production at refineries has been increased by more than 30 percent. Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Sujata Sharma, shared this information during an interministerial briefing on recent developments in West Asia held in New Delhi yesterday.
She said commercial LPG cylinders have been made available to state governments for priority distribution to consumers. She informed that domestic PNG and CNG for vehicles are being ensured with no cuts. All the retail outlet dealers have also been directed to strictly follow guidelines while dispensing fuel and any violation will invite strict action.
She also announced that an additional allocation of 48,000 kilolitres of kerosene, over and above the regular supply, has been provided to all states and Union Territories. States and UTs have been requested to identify district-level locations to facilitate distribution of kerosene.
Meanwhile, Alternate fuel options have been activated to ease pressure on LPG. The Ministry of Coal has issued an order to Coal India and Singareni Coalieries to allot higher quantities to States for distributing coal to small, medium and other consumers. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India has advised State Pollution Control Board for the use of kerosene and coal as alternative use for hospitality and restaurants for one month.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday and stressed on New Delhi’s priority regarding the safety and well-being of Indian nationals in the region, including in Iran. During the inter-ministerial briefing, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also reiterated India’s consistent position that all issues must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
