More than 58,500 PNG consumers have voluntarily given up their LPG connections by May 20, as per government reports. The government reassured the public of ample stocks of petrol and diesel across all fuel stations nationwide. Citizens were urged not to engage in panic buying of petrol, diesel, or LPG, with authorities emphasizing their commitment to ensuring continuous availability of these fuels.
Online bookings for LPG cylinders surged to nearly 99% industry-wide on May 20. The government highlighted that Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) based deliveries reached around 96% to prevent unauthorized diversions. This security measure involves sending the DAC to the consumer’s registered mobile number. In the past three days, approximately 1.34 crore LPG cylinders were delivered against bookings of about 1.32 crore cylinders.
The Petroleum Ministry disclosed that on a recent Wednesday, approximately 47.51 lakh LPG cylinders were distributed in response to bookings of around 45.36 lakh cylinders. Additionally, in the last three days, about 1.87 lakh 5-kg FTL cylinders were sold. Since March, around 7.64 lakh PNG connections have been converted to gas, with infrastructure enhancements accommodating an additional 2.81 lakh connections, totaling 10.45 lakh connections.
Moreover, nearly 7.99 lakh customers have signed up for new connections. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways provided updates on the maritime situation in the Persian Gulf, outlining measures taken to safeguard Indian vessels and crew in the area. The ministry affirmed that all Indian seafarers in the region are safe, with no reported incidents involving Indian-flagged or foreign vessels with Indian crew in the past 72 hours.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways continues to collaborate with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Missions, and maritime stakeholders to ensure seafarer welfare and uninterrupted maritime operations. Through the Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping), the ministry has facilitated the secure repatriation of over 3,316 Indian seafarers to date, including 99 individuals in the last 72 hours from various locations in the Gulf region.
