New Delhi, March 18: Domestic liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) production has increased by 40 per cent, the government said on Wednesday, adding that supply concerns remain due to the closure of the key oil route of the Strait of Hormuz.
Joint Secretary, Marketing and Oil Refinery, of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Sujata Sharma, said during a regular briefing that petrol pumps have sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel.
"Domestic LPG production has increased by 40 per cent, and there have been no reports of shortages at petrol pumps," Sharma said, adding that crude oil is readily available, and 100 per cent of piped natural gas (PNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) are available for consumers.
However, she said that the supply of LPG remains a concern, as most of the country's supply travels through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been affected by the Iran-related situation.
She also stated that online booking has improved to 93 per cent as of March 17, and the government has issued a letter to states and Union Territories (UTs), offering an additional 10 per cent of commercial LPG if they can help facilitate the transition to PNG.
"We have issued a letter offering states and UTs an additional 10 per cent allocation of commercial LPG, provided they can help in the long-term transition from LPG to PNG," Sharma said. Under this framework, the government will provide additional commercial LPG supplies to the states.
"It is the responsibility of the state and Union Territory governments to implement these reforms, expedite approvals, and ensure connections for both domestic and commercial and industrial PNG consumers in their respective areas," Sharma noted.
Furthermore, the country has sufficient stocks of aviation turbine fuel (ATF).
Meanwhile, 22 Indian vessels, which are stranded in the Persian Gulf, carry 3.2 lakh tonnes of LPG, 2 lakh tonnes of LNG, and 1.67 million tonnes of crude oil, said Special Secretary, Shipping, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, adding that all vessels and Indian crew members (a total of 611) in the Gulf region are safe.
"We are in discussions with Iran and other counterparts to ensure the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz," he said.
The Indian-flagged crude oil tanker 'Jag Laadki' arrived at Adani Ports' Mundra in Gujarat on Wednesday morning.