The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has directed households with connections to both piped natural gas (PNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to surrender their LPG connection immediately. In a notification issued yesterday, the Ministry stated that any person with a PNG connection will not be allowed to retain a domestic LPG connection or obtain refills from government oil companies or their authorized distributors. Such consumers are also required to surrender their LPG connection immediately. The order further states that individuals who already have a PNG connection will also not be permitted to obtain a new LPG connection in the future.
Oil marketing companies have also been instructed not to issue new LPG connections or provide refills to consumers who already have access to piped natural gas. The government said that this step has been taken to prevent duplication of cooking gas supply and to ensure that LPG cylinders remain available for households that do not have access to PNG networks. This notification comes amid disruptions in global fuel supply due to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, following diplomatic efforts by India, Iran has allowed two Indian-flagged LPG carriers to transit through the Strait of Hormuz. The LPG carriers, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, carrying LPG from Gulf countries, safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz yesterday. These vessels were among the twenty-four ships that had been stranded on the western side of the strait after the conflict began in the region. Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary in the Ministry of Shipping, said that the vessels are now heading to the Mundra and Kandla ports in Gujarat. The ships are carrying approximately ninety-two thousand seven hundred tonnes of LPG and are expected to dock at Indian ports on March 16th or 17th.
Sinha said that diplomatic efforts are underway to ensure the safe passage of the remaining 22 Indian-flagged ships on the western side of the strait.
Meanwhile, in yesterday's inter-ministerial media briefing, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, urged citizens to refrain from panic booking of LPG cylinders and only book when required. She informed that commercial cylinders have been made available to state governments, and the distribution of commercial cylinders in 29 states and UTs has begun.