Addressing the Lok Sabha, Hardeep Singh Puri said there is no shortage of petrol, diesel, kerosene, aviation turbine fuel or fuel oil in the country. He assured that supplies of petrol, diesel, aviation fuel and fuel oil remain fully secure.
Puri said the current global situation is unprecedented and unlike anything the world has experienced before. He added that even though India is not directly involved in the ongoing conflict in West Asia, the country must still deal with the consequences of the crisis.
The minister also spoke about the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted global energy supplies. He credited the diplomatic outreach of Narendra Modi for helping India secure crude oil volumes that exceed what the disrupted shipping route would have delivered during the same period.
Amid concerns about liquefied petroleum gas supplies affecting several restaurants across the country, Puri said India’s crude oil and domestic LPG supply remain fully protected. He repeated that despite the global turmoil and India having no role in the conflict, the country’s fuel supply situation remains secure.
Measures taken to prevent LPG shortage
Puri also outlined steps taken by the government to ensure that households do not face a shortage of cooking gas. He said the Modi government’s priority is to ensure that the kitchens of around 33 crore families in India continue to receive adequate fuel supplies.
He said the government has diversified its procurement of LPG and India is now receiving shipments from countries such as the United States, Norway, Canada, Algeria and Russia.
The minister noted that India previously imported about 60 percent of its LPG requirement from Gulf nations including Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, while the remaining 40 percent was produced domestically.
He added that procurement has now been actively diversified with shipments secured from multiple countries. In addition, India’s LPG production has increased by 28 percent in the past five days due to directives issued to refineries, and further procurement efforts are currently underway.
