LPG crisis | Petroleum Ministry urges people to not hoard cylinders; orders news channels to play updated visuals

On the status of LPG supply across the country, the Ministry says India imports about 60 per cent LPG consumption and about 90 per cent of it comes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has appealed to citizens to not panic-book LPG cylinders, adding that steps are being taken to ensure that uninterrupted supply is maintained amid the West Asia conflict.

It has advised States and Union Territories to take strict measures against hoarding of essential commodities and ensure uninterrupted availability of essential supplies.

The Ministry also requested social media users not to spread misinformation and rumours and to share only credible and verified content related to the crisis.

Further, television news channels were ordered to avoid playing repetitive visuals. They were encouraged to display visuals with date and time stamped so that the citizens are correctly informed about the issue.

The Ministry highlighted the role district-level monitoring committees and the State governments in monitoring the distribution of LPG cylinders at the ground level.

On the status of LPG supply across the country, the Ministry said India imports about 60 per cent LPG consumption and about 90 per cent of it comes through the blocked Strait of Hormuz.

It said that the government had enhanced production of LPG by refineries by 28 per cent in the last five days and that further procurement was underway.

"No dry out has been reported. More than 50 lakh cylinders are delivered every day. There is many-fold increase in booking due to panic," the Ministry said in a press release.

Further, it said that priority for non-domestic LPG was given to hospitals and educational institutions.

"A three-member committee of Executive Directors from IOCL, HPCL and BPCL has been constituted to review allocations to restaurants, hotels and other commercial users. The committee is consulting with State authorities and industry bodies to finalise a plan to ensure that available LPG is distributed in a fair and transparent manner," the statement read.  

It also said that alternate fuel options are being activated to ease pressure on LPG and gas channels, adding that kerosene is being made available through retail outlets and PDS channels, and fuel oil is being made available for industrial and commercial consumers.