The government on Friday said that domestic production of cooking gas has increased by 30 per cent and assured that the country has enough fuel supplies to meet demand despite the ongoing tensions in West Asia.
Speaking at an inter-ministerial briefing, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery) in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said India’s refineries are currently producing 30 per cent more LPG compared to March 5.
“The government is making continuous efforts to ensure that households and essential institutions receive uninterrupted supplies of cooking gas,” she said. “LPG supplies are being prioritised for households, hospitals and educational institutions,” Sharma added.
She said commercial cylinders have also been made available to state governments so that they can distribute them according to priority wherever needed. The government also assured that the country has sufficient refining capacity and fuel inventories.
India currently has a crude oil refining capacity of 258 million metric tonnes, and domestic refineries are operating at full capacity. “This has made the country self-sufficient in the production of petrol and diesel, reducing the need for imports of these fuels,” Sharma stated.
She said there is no shortage of petrol or diesel across the country and that none of the nearly 100,000 fuel retail outlets have reported a dry situation. “Petrol pumps are functioning normally and have adequate fuel stocks,” she mentioned.
Refineries also maintain sufficient crude oil inventories, and supplies are being regularly replenished to ensure smooth operations, she added. The government further said that the supply of piped natural gas and compressed natural gas remains stable.
Sharma noted that the supply of PNG to households and CNG for vehicles is continuing without any disruption. Currently, around 15 million households in India are connected to PNG networks, while another 6 million homes located near existing gas pipelines can easily obtain PNG connections. Sharma encouraged such consumers to switch to PNG, saying it would also help reduce pressure on LPG demand.