New Delhi, May 21: The government announced on Thursday that as of May 20, more than 58,500 piped natural gas (PNG) consumers have surrendered their LPG connections. Additionally, it confirmed that there is an adequate stock of petrol and diesel available at all petrol pumps across the country.
Authorities advised citizens to refrain from panic buying of petrol, diesel, and LPG, assuring that all possible measures are being taken to ensure fuel availability.
During a regular briefing, the government stated, “Be cautious of rumors and rely only on official sources for accurate information.”
On May 20, online LPG cylinder bookings surged to nearly 99 percent at the industry level. The Petroleum Ministry reported that delivery authentication codes (DAC) for LPG deliveries have increased to about 96 percent to prevent black marketing. The DAC is sent to the consumer’s registered mobile number. In the last three days, approximately 1.34 crore cylinders were delivered compared to about 1.32 crore bookings.
On Wednesday, around 47.51 lakh LPG cylinders were delivered against approximately 45.36 lakh bookings.
The ministry further noted that about 1.87 lakh five-kilogram FTL cylinders were sold in the past three days.
Since March, gas supply has commenced for approximately 7.64 lakh PNG connections, with infrastructure prepared for an additional 2.81 lakh connections, bringing the total to 10.45 lakh. Additionally, about 7.99 lakh customers have registered for new connections.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways provided updates on the current maritime situation in the Gulf, stating that continuous measures are being taken to ensure the safety of Indian vessels and crews in the region.
Meanwhile, the Waterways Ministry confirmed ongoing coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions, and maritime stakeholders to ensure the safety of sailors and uninterrupted maritime operations.
The ministry reported, “All Indian sailors present in the region are safe, and no incidents involving Indian-flagged vessels or foreign vessels with Indian crews have been reported in the last 72 hours.”
So far, through the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), the safe return of over 3,316 Indian sailors has been facilitated, including 99 sailors who returned from various locations in the Gulf region in the last 72 hours.