New Delhi, May 29 (H.S.): Amid the ongoing crisis in West Asia, the Central Government on Friday assured that the country has adequate stocks of petrol, diesel, domestic cooking gas (LPG), natural gas, and crude oil. The government also stated that all refineries across the country are operating at full capacity. In addition, LPG production has reached a record level of nearly 92 TMT (thousand metric tonnes) per day.

Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Sujata Sharma said during an inter-ministerial press briefing in New Delhi that LPG production is currently at a record level of approximately 92 TMT per day. She added that no domestic LPG distributorship has reported any depletion of stock.

Sharma stated that although some districts have witnessed an unusual rise in petrol and diesel sales due to agricultural demand and changing market trends, overall fuel supply remains stable. She further informed that State Governments, Union Territories, and industry associations have been advised to prevent hoarding and black marketing, while consumers have been urged to purchase fuel only through authorised channels.

She reiterated that fuel availability in the country remains sufficient and there is no need for unnecessary stockpiling. According to Sharma, more than 8.3 lakh PNG connections have been activated since March, while 8.5 lakh new consumers have been registered.

Over the past four days alone, more than 1.78 crore LPG refill bookings were received and nearly 1.8 crore cylinders were delivered, of which 96 percent deliveries were digitally authenticated.

Sharma also said that enforcement agencies and oil marketing companies have intensified inspections. Supplies of commercial LPG continue to remain robust, while natural gas supply for industrial and commercial consumers has been restored up to 99 percent.

During the press conference, Director in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Opesh Kumar Sharma said that the cargo vessel *Nisos Keros* safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz on the night of May 25-26 and is expected to reach Visakhapatnam on June 3.

He stated that the vessel is carrying approximately 2,70,000 metric tonnes of crude oil. The entire crew onboard is foreign, and the ship sails under the flag of the Marshall Islands. He further said that all Indian sailors present in the region are safe, and no incident involving Indian seafarers has been reported, whether aboard Indian-flagged vessels or foreign-flagged ships.

Additionally, Additional Secretary (Gulf) in the Ministry of External Affairs Aseem R Mahajan stated that the Ministry of External Affairs is continuously and closely monitoring developments in the Gulf and West Asia region.

He said that Indian embassies and consulates in the region are operating round-the-clock helplines to provide timely assistance to Indian citizens. They are actively supporting Indian nationals and maintaining constant coordination with local governments.

Mahajan further informed that Indian and UAE-based airlines are continuing flight operations between the United Arab Emirates and various destinations in India. Flights are also operating from multiple airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman to Indian destinations, while the airspace of Qatar remains partially open.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar