<p>New Delhi: The Centre has formed an inter-ministerial group headed by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to address the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=West%20Asia">West Asia</a> crisis.</p><p>Government sources said that Union Home Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=Amit%20Shah">Amit Shah</a>, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri are among the members, in addition to other ministers.</p><p>Sources said the group will coordinate across ministries, even as gas shortage owing to the crisis looms large. </p>.'No lockdown in India': Hardeep Puri says 'no such proposal under consideration' amid fuel crisis.<p>“The group has senior members of the Cabinet; they will provide solutions and directions in any issue arising out of the crisis with different ministries as well as state governments too,” added the sources.</p><p>With long queues outside of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) centers and petrol stations, the high-level group’s focus currently will be to stop any kind of panic about shortage of LPG and the rising price of crude oil. </p><p>The group is also in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent announcement that seven empowered groups of ministers will be made to tide through the crisis. </p><p>In the Parliament last week, Modi had said that the situation in West Asia was “concerning” and it posed “unexpected challenges” for India’s “economic and national security”. </p><p>He had said that as far as strategic reserves are concerned, India has prioritised the stockpiling of crude oil for such times of crisis. </p><p>“India today possesses a Strategic Petroleum Reserve of more than 53 lakh metric tonnes, with work underway to build reserves exceeding 65 lakh metric tonnes, in addition to the separate reserves held by oil companies,” Modi had said. </p>.Govt cuts excise duty on petrol and diesel, but pump prices will remain the same: Here's why.<p>Several government departments and ministries have tried to dismiss rumours of a severe shortage of fuel and that a lockdown is expected.</p><p>Earlier this week, the government, in an all-party meeting to discuss the crisis, told Opposition leaders that the domestic production of gas has increased from 28 per cent when war started to 60 per cent currently. The government also informed that they are trying to offset the LPG crisis by converting PNG. </p><p>The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued an official statement, assuring that “all retail outlets are operating normally across the country” and that there are “adequate stocks of petrol and diesel available at all petrol pumps”. </p><p>The ministry has asked people to not panic buy oil and gas responding to rumours.</p>
<p>New Delhi: The Centre has formed an inter-ministerial group headed by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to address the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=West%20Asia">West Asia</a> crisis.</p><p>Government sources said that Union Home Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=Amit%20Shah">Amit Shah</a>, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri are among the members, in addition to other ministers.</p><p>Sources said the group will coordinate across ministries, even as gas shortage owing to the crisis looms large. </p>.'No lockdown in India': Hardeep Puri says 'no such proposal under consideration' amid fuel crisis.<p>“The group has senior members of the Cabinet; they will provide solutions and directions in any issue arising out of the crisis with different ministries as well as state governments too,” added the sources.</p><p>With long queues outside of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) centers and petrol stations, the high-level group’s focus currently will be to stop any kind of panic about shortage of LPG and the rising price of crude oil. </p><p>The group is also in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent announcement that seven empowered groups of ministers will be made to tide through the crisis. </p><p>In the Parliament last week, Modi had said that the situation in West Asia was “concerning” and it posed “unexpected challenges” for India’s “economic and national security”. </p><p>He had said that as far as strategic reserves are concerned, India has prioritised the stockpiling of crude oil for such times of crisis. </p><p>“India today possesses a Strategic Petroleum Reserve of more than 53 lakh metric tonnes, with work underway to build reserves exceeding 65 lakh metric tonnes, in addition to the separate reserves held by oil companies,” Modi had said. </p>.Govt cuts excise duty on petrol and diesel, but pump prices will remain the same: Here's why.<p>Several government departments and ministries have tried to dismiss rumours of a severe shortage of fuel and that a lockdown is expected.</p><p>Earlier this week, the government, in an all-party meeting to discuss the crisis, told Opposition leaders that the domestic production of gas has increased from 28 per cent when war started to 60 per cent currently. The government also informed that they are trying to offset the LPG crisis by converting PNG. </p><p>The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued an official statement, assuring that “all retail outlets are operating normally across the country” and that there are “adequate stocks of petrol and diesel available at all petrol pumps”. </p><p>The ministry has asked people to not panic buy oil and gas responding to rumours.</p>