March 20, New Delhi — The Indian government said on Friday that all refineries in the country are operating at full capacity with adequate crude oil inventories, and sufficient supplies of petrol, diesel, and LPG are being maintained.
As part of the government's ongoing effort to keep the media regularly informed about developments in West Asia, another inter-ministerial briefing was held this afternoon.
Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Sujata Sharma, said that no reports of fuel shortages have been received at retail outlets, and supplies of petrol and diesel continue to be maintained regularly. She added that 32 states and Union Territories have established district monitoring committees.
Meanwhile, Special Secretary at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, stated that there have been no maritime incidents reported in the Gulf region in the past 24 hours. He added that charges will be waived for cargo and other goods at the New Mangalore port.
Providing further details, Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, said that a total of 300,000 passengers have returned from the Gulf region since the conflict began, while 913 Indians are returning from Iran via Armenia and Azerbaijan. He also informed that Prime Minister Modi has spoken to the leaders of five countries, including Oman, Qatar, and France. The Prime Minister strongly condemned attacks on energy infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Additional Secretary for the Gulf, Aseem Mahajan, said that 15 Indian crew members of the MT Safesea Vishnu, who were safely rescued, had left Iraq yesterday and are expected to return to India from Saudi Arabia today.
Byte 1: Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
Byte 2: Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
Byte 3: Randhir Jaiswal, Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs
Byte 4: Aseem Mahajan, Additional Secretary for the Gulf
