Guwahati, March 11 Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota said on Wednesday that local refineries have the capacity to meet only about 30 per cent of the state's LPG demand, indicating a possible shortage of the cooking fuel in the coming days.
In a post on X, Kota said that all four refineries in the state have been requested to ramp up production to ensure an uninterrupted supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to consumers.
The chief secretary said he participated in a video conference with the Union Home Secretary, along with chief secretaries and DGPs of all states and Union territories, to review the availability and supply of LPG and diesel across the country.
"It was noted that local refineries are expected to meet about 30 per cent of the state's LPG demand and have been requested to step up production to ensure adequate supply," Kota said.
The State Level Coordinator of Indian Oil Corp reviewed the LPG supply position in Assam and informed that the overall situation in the state remains comfortable, and adequate stock is currently available, he added.
Assam has four refineries -- three owned by Indian Oil Corp at Digboi, Guwahati and Bongaigaon, and another at Numaligarh operated by PSU Numaligarh Refinery Ltd.
"To ensure close monitoring of the situation, a high-powered committee at the level of the chief secretary has been constituted with the departments concerned to regularly review the supply position," Kota said.
In addition, a dedicated media monitoring committee has been set up to track rumours, misinformation and misleading reports that may create panic among consumers, he added.
"Enforcement agencies have been directed to take strict action against individuals or entities spreading false information or attempting to create panic regarding fuel availability," the chief secretary said.
He further said that in view of advisories issued by the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to prevent panic buying, fresh LPG cylinders should not be delivered before 25 days from the date of the previous purchase.
"Priority in LPG supply will continue to be given to health institutions, educational institutions and households... The Government of Assam is closely monitoring the situation and has assured that adequate measures are in place to ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential fuel commodities across the state," Kota stressed.
He said that for public convenience, the IOCL call centre remains operational round the clock for any queries related to LPG supply with a toll-free number 1800-233-3555.
Kota, along with Assam DGP Harmeet Singh, officials of the Food and Civil Supplies Department and representatives of oil marketing companies joined the virtual meeting.
There is a requirement of 1.91 lakh domestic cylinders every day of 14.2 kgs for the entire Northeast market. Of this, 1.34 lakh is consumed by Assam alone.
In the commercial segment of 19 kg cylinders, the NE market size is 5,777 units per day, including 4,112 units in Assam.
LPG production, CNG, and piped cooking gas will take precedence over all other sectors using natural gas as the Union Government on Tuesday rejigged allocation to ensure uninterrupted supply for households and transport sectors.
As the widening West Asia conflict disrupted 30 per cent of India's gas supply, the Oil Ministry, in a gazette notification, ordered available gas to be diverted from non-priority sectors to key users.
Besides, a panel of senior executives from three PSU oil companies will review complaints of shortage of commercial LPG cylinders across the country and make fuel available to meet the genuine requirements of non-essential sectors like hotels and restaurants.
While maintaining that the country has adequate fuel stocks, the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) on March 9 directed refineries to maximise LPG output by curtailing petrochemical streams and extended the LPG refill booking cycle to 25 days from 21 days.
"In light of current geopolitical disruptions to fuel supply and constraints on supply of LPG, the ministry has issued orders to oil refineries for higher LPG production and using such extra production for domestic LPG use," the ministry said in the post on X.
"The ministry has prioritised domestic LPG supply to households and introduced a 25-day inter-booking period to avoid hoarding/black marketing."
Non-domestic supplies from imported LPG are being prioritised to essential non-domestic sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions, it said.
