Government emphasizes on increasing domestic LPG production

The central government has once again stated that despite ongoing conflicts in West Asia, the supply of domestic LPG, petrol, diesel, and natural gas is normal. Port operations are running smoothly, and rural employment and housing schemes are being accelerated. The crisis in West Asia has created challenges for domestic gas supply, so plans to increase domestic LPG production are moving forward rapidly.

Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum, Sujata Sharma, said at a regular inter-ministerial press conference at the National Media Center on Monday that there is no shortage in domestic LPG supply. Commercial LPG supply has improved by about 70% to 7,000 tons per day. Auto LPG sales have also increased to 350 tons per day. Since April 3, 7,000 awareness camps have been organized, and around 100,000 small cylinders have been distributed.

She said that since March 23, 18.4 million cylinders have been provided. Priority is being given to natural gas for domestic use and CNG for transportation. An additional 10% of commercial LPG is being provided to support PNG networks in 22 states and union territories. So far, more than 39,000 consumers have switched from LPG to PNG. The supply of petrol and diesel is normal, and refineries are operating at full capacity. The ministry said that 267 LPG distributors have been fined and 67 have been suspended.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randeep Jaiswal said that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval made an official visit to Saudi Arabia on April 19. He met with the Saudi Minister of Energy, Foreign Minister, and National Security Adviser. These meetings reviewed bilateral relations, regional situation, and matters of mutual interest.

Mandeep Singh Ranghava, Director of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, said that an Indian-flagged crude oil tanker carrying 97,422 metric tons of crude oil safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz on April 18 and is expected to reach Mumbai on April 22. It has 31 Indian passengers on board. In the last 48 hours, two Indian ships, Sanmar Herald and bulk carrier Jagan Nath, reported firing incidents and returned safely. No crew members were injured.

He said that the ministry is in constant contact with ship owners and crew and is monitoring the situation. The DG Shipping Control Room has handled 6,918 calls and 14,605 emails since it became active. So far, 2,563 Indian ships have been safely brought back to the country. Port operations across the country are normal, and there is no congestion.

Amit Shukla, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, said that the ministry is maintaining rural employment under MGNREGA and ensuring a smooth transition to the upcoming VB Gramin Yojana. For this purpose, Rs 17,744 crore has been released for wage payment. The new scheme will soon guarantee 125 days of employment. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin, a target has been set to build 45.9 million houses by March 2029, which will be achieved through real-time monitoring and timely DBT payments.