Government making all efforts to ensure availability of petrol, diesel and LPG

The Indian government is actively working to bolster fuel security by enhancing strategic reserves and ensuring the consistent availability of petrol, diesel, and LPG. Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, stated during an inter-ministerial briefing that efforts are underway to maintain a minimum 30-day reserve of LPG for oil marketing companies and to develop crude oil reserves.

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Regarding strategic reserves, we are working on the strategic reserves also. And we have asked the oil marketing companies to work out that the LPG reserve that should be minimum 30 days with them and they are working on it. And similarly, for crude also, we are working.

Sharma assured the public that there is currently no shortage of essential fuels. Refineries are operating at optimal levels, and LPG production is at an all-time high, with no reported dry-outs at distributorships. However, she noted instances of abnormal sales at retail outlets, attributing some to agricultural demand and others to bulk sales. Overall, petrol sales have seen over a 30% increase, with significant growth in certain districts, while some have experienced a drop in Oil Marketing Company (OMC) sales.

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We have sufficient stock of petrol, diesel and LPG, natural gas and fruit inventories are tied up. All our refineries are operating at optimum level and LPG production is all time high, almost 90 DMT per day. No dry out has been reported on LPG distributorship.

To combat diversion and hoarding, enforcement measures have been significantly intensified. In the past four days, over 6,500 raids have been conducted on LPG distribution, leading to five FIRs and two arrests. Similarly, 900 raids on retail outlets in two days resulted in the seizure of substantial quantities of petrol and diesel, with 12 FIRs and 15 arrests made. The government has also reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 10 per liter, costing Rs 14,000 crore monthly, to stabilize prices, despite OMCs facing daily losses of Rs 550 crore.

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But it is being seen on retail outlets that there is abnormal sale at many places. Some are due to agricultural demand and some are due to bulk sale.

Sharma urged consumers, particularly bulk and industrial users, to purchase diesel only through authorized channels. She also encouraged the public to disregard rumors and practice energy conservation in their daily use, emphasizing the government's commitment to ensuring the availability and delivery of LPG cylinders to all homes and fuel to all pumps.

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So these all efforts have been done to keep the price stable.