More than 49.8 lakh domestic Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinders were delivered on April 30, with fresh bookings for 41.6 lakh cylinders. Despite supply chain disruptions from the Middle East conflict, no dry-outs have been reported at retail distributorships, ensuring normal cooking gas supply in the country. Online bookings for Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinders have surged to 98%, with around 93% of deliveries now authenticated via codes to prevent diversion at the distributor level.
Retail prices of petrol and diesel have remained steady despite the global oil price hike, and ample stocks of both fuels are available at all petrol pumps nationwide. Oil marketing companies are adjusting prices for specific products like jet fuel and commercial Liquefied Petroleum Gas in line with international trends. Enforcement actions are ongoing to combat hoarding and black marketing of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, with over 2,300 raids conducted recently.
Public sector oil companies are intensifying surprise inspections, penalizing 342 Liquefied Petroleum Gas distributorships and suspending 73. Show-cause notices were issued to 46 distributors, with penalties imposed on six and one distributorship suspended. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is ensuring uninterrupted availability of petroleum products and Liquefied Petroleum Gas across the country amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
To ease Liquefied Petroleum Gas demand, over 43,200 Piped Natural Gas consumers have surrendered their connections. Citizens are urged against panic buying and advised to rely on official sources for information. Refineries are operating at full capacity with ample crude inventories, and local Liquefied Petroleum Gas production has been boosted to meet domestic needs.
