Special Secretary at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, stated that all Indian sailors and ships are safe in the Gulf region. Mr. Sinha made this statement while addressing the Inter Ministerial Briefing on Recent Developments in West Asia in New Delhi. He noted that 161 Indian sailors have been repatriated and returned to India after completing their duties in the Gulf region in the last 24 hours. Mr. Sinha also highlighted that the second LPG carrier, Nanda Devi, reached Kandla, Gujarat, at approximately 2:30 AM today, and that cargo is now being discharged from both LPG carriers, Shivalik and Nanda Devi.
Addressing the briefing, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Sujata Sharma, stated that petrol and diesel are readily available throughout the country. Ms. Sharma said that the government is encouraging commercial LPG users to switch to piped natural gas. She also stated that the government has written to all State Governments and Union Territories, requesting that pending approvals for pipeline laying be granted as deemed approval, and that new applications be approved within 24 hours.