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NEW DELHI: With the availability of LPG remaining strained, govt on Friday urged nearly 60 lakh households to switch to piped natural gas (PNG) to ease pressure on domestic cooking gas cylinders. It also appealed commercial establishments to take PNG connections. It assured consumers that there was no crisis of domestic cooking gas cylinders and advised them to avoid panic booking. It asserted that states have begun cracking down on those indulging in black marketing and hoarding. Petroleum secretary, Neeraj Mittal, and consumer affairs secretary, Nidhi Khare, separately met with food and supplies officials from states and UTs to familiarise them with the energy situation arising from the military conflict in West Asia and assured them of “continuous coordination and cooperation” by govt. At a press conference, Sujata Sharma, joint secretary in petroleum ministry, said nearly 60 lakh households in country have PNG networks nearby and can easily take connections. “In cities, commercial establishments affected due to LPG supply are also urged to get in touch with the city gas distribution network and take PNG connections. It is important that we reduce pressure on LPG a bit,” she said, adding govt was not in a position to give full supply to all commercial consumers. India imports over 60% of its LPG requirement, of which 85-90% comes through the Strait of Hormuz, which is currently disrupted. India has over 32.3 crore LPG customers, while the number of PNG consumers stands at more than 1.6 crore. Govt had stopped distributing 19-kg commercial cylinders last week when the crisis intensified but later placed a smaller stock at the disposal of states to distribute them. Since March 5, India has ramped up its LPG production by 30%. Emphasising that supplies for domestic consumers remained adequate across country, Sharma said fears of a shortage has led to a spike in LPG cylinder bookings – from 57.5 lakh during the pre-conflict days to 75.7 lakh on March 12, a 32% increase, reflecting a panic pattern. A 30% increase in LPG production means that India now has access to 52% of its requirement from domestic sources. “I urge people to avoid panic booking. We used to distribute 50 lakh cylinders every day earlier and are maintaining it now,” Sharma said, adding that people can book refills through digital modes – IVRS, SMS, WhatsApp and mobile app – and don’t have to queue up at gas agencies. State-run oil marketing companies have increased call centre seats to 400 and telephone lines to 650 to register complaints. TOI has learnt that in the meeting with petroleum and consumer affairs secretaries, state officials flagged LPG availability issue and sought clarity on stocks. A participant said that Mittal told them that supply to domestic consumers remains priority and that the Centre was tapping additional sources to meet the requirement. Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary in the shipping ministry, told reporters that of four Indian-flagged vessels on the eastern side of the Strait of Hormuz, one oil tanker, Jal Prakash, has managed to move out, while three remain with 76 Indian seafarers on board. This ship carrying crude is heading to Africa.
