The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has issued a strong clarification to dispel rumors of a domestic fuel crisis, assuring citizens that India’s liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and retail fuel supply chains are operating at peak efficiency.

Addressing the public on behalf of the ministry, senior official Sujata Sharma confirmed that a staggering 8.7 million (87 lakh) domestic LPG cylinders were successfully dispatched and delivered across the country within the last two days alone.

To ensure absolute transparency and eliminate black marketing during this high-demand period, the ministry revealed that nearly 95% of these domestic deliveries were executed using secure authentication codes (OTPs), guaranteeing that supplies reached verified households directly.

Balanced Demand: Commercial and Auto LPG Sectors Hold Strong

The government released a comprehensive data breakdown showcasing a perfectly balanced supply-and-demand matrix over the last 48 hours across multiple energy sectors:

• Commercial Cooking Gas: 15,900 metric tons of commercial LPG were seamlessly sold to businesses and the hospitality sector.

• Automotive Clean Energy: Oil marketing companies successfully supplied 876 metric tons of auto LPG to fueling stations.

• Small Consumers: Approximately 120,000 compact 5-kg cylinders—critical for migratory workers and low-income households—were distributed without delays.

The PNG Shift: Cities Rapidly Moving Away from Cylinders

The ministry highlighted that India's long-term strategy to reduce heavy dependence on traditional LPG cylinders is yielding massive results through the expansion of Piped Natural Gas (PNG):

• 6.31 lakh urban kitchens have been officially gasified with direct pipe connections recently.

• 2.67 lakh additional households now have complete structural infrastructure ready to receive gas lines.

• 6.93 lakh new consumers have formally registered for fresh PNG transitions, resulting in 49,000 consumers voluntarily surrendering their old LPG cylinders back to the government.

Retail Outlets Normal, Panic Bookings Urged to Stop

The government explicitly stated that fuel stations stocking petrol and diesel are operating under entirely normal conditions with zero supply disruptions nationwide.

However, the ministry noted that isolated incidents of panic booking by anxious consumers in specific pockets have created artificial, temporary pressure on local distributors. Citizens are urged to avoid hoarding and maintain routine buying patterns.

Iron Fist: Crackdown on Errant Distributors

To prevent hoarding and artificial inflation during panic spikes, the Ministry of Petroleum has launched a massive enforcement campaign:

• 2,100 surprise raids were conducted at distribution centers yesterday.

• 3,139 show-cause notices have been slapped on errant operators.

• 366 distributors were heavily penalized for compliance failures, while 75 dealerships were slapped with immediate suspensions.

Refineries Operating Normals; Shutdowns are Purely Routine

Addressing technical maintenance schedules, the ministry confirmed that crude oil refineries possess more than adequate stocks.

While the Nayara refinery is currently offline for a scheduled maintenance turnaround, it is on track to be fully restored by the middle of May. Once Nayara resumes, the Reliance refinery will initiate its own routine shutdown. The government clarified that these staggered maintenance windows are standard industry procedures planned months in advance and will have zero impact on public fuel availability.

Furthermore, Opesh Kumar Sharma from the Ministry of Ports and Shipping confirmed that maritime freight operations are running smoothly. India’s ports are completely free of cargo congestion, ensuring that crude oil imports and energy shipping vessels are offloading without a single day of delay.