Day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to save fuel, the government on Monday clarified that there is no shortage of petrol or diesel in India, adding that there is no need to panic. However, it maintained that citizens need to conserve fuel because of the heightened global turmoil and the situation in the Middle East where a conflict is underway between the United States (US) and Iran.
Speaking at an inter-ministerial briefing over the situation in West Asia, Sujata Sharma, who is Joint Secretary (Marketing and Oil Refinery) at Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, accepted that global supply chains have been disrupted causing a significant price volatility. However, India's refineries are operating at optimum levels and there are no instances of dry-outs at any retail outlets, she said.
"Adequate stocks of petrol and diesel are available, and LPG supplies for domestic cooking purposes are being maintained," Sharma said. "Over the past three days, 1 crore 26 lakh LPG cylinders have been delivered to households against 1 crore 14 lakh bookings. Similarly, sales of commercial LPG have exceeded 17,000 tonnes over the last three days. Sales of Auto LPG have also surpassed 762 tonnes."
Sharma said the government is constantly monitoring the situation, adding that several steps have been taken to ensure that fuel supplies are maintained for the common consumer with minimal inconvenience. She also reiterated PM Modi's appeal and said people must reduce their consumption of petrol and diesel, and make every possible effort to conserve energy.
"Wherever possible, utilise the Metro and public transportation; opt for carpooling; prioritise railways as a mode of transportation for goods; and wherever feasible, increase the usage of electric vehicles. Let us all come together and make every possible effort to conserve energy in our daily lives," she said.
India is one of the largest consumers of crude oil and imports most of its oil from the gulf. This was highlighted by PM Modi in his Sunday's speech in Telangana's Hyderabad, where he said that the due to the volatile situation in the Middle East, fuel prices are rising at the global market.
Although petrol and diesel rates have remained unchanged in India despite the US-Iran war that started on February 28, the prime minister said there is a constant pressure on maintaining supply chains. He further said people must also focus saving foreign exchange reserves and avoid non-essential purchase of gold for a year.
Additionally, work from home should be promoted and metro facilities must be used wherever available, he stated.
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