New Delhi, 04 May (H.S.):
The government stated on Monday that there is no shortage of domestic cooking gas (LPG) with LPG distributors across the country. The supply of commercial LPG cylinders has been restored to nearly 70 percent.
Joint Secretary Sujata Sharma of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas informed during an inter-ministerial press conference in New Delhi that more than 2.15 lakh tonnes of commercial LPG have been sold in the month of April. Sales of auto LPG have reached approximately 11,100 tonnes so far. Over 23 lakh 5-kg cylinders have been sold this month, and more than 10,000 awareness camps have been organized since April 3.
Additional Secretary (Gulf) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Asim R. Mahajan, stated that the ministry is closely monitoring developments in the Gulf region of West Asia. He emphasized that efforts are focused on ensuring the safety and welfare of the Indian community residing in the area. Mahajan noted ongoing coordination with state governments and union territories for information sharing and aligned initiatives.
Asim R. Mahajan announced that a dedicated control room has been established in the ministry to address queries from Indian citizens and their families. He highlighted continuous improvements in flight availability, with additional flights operating from the region to various Indian cities.
The UAE airspace remains open, with Indian and UAE airlines operating services to multiple destinations in India; flights are also running from various airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman to Indian cities, while Qatar's airspace is partially open.
Director Opesh Kumar Sharma from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways stated that the ministry is coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs, missions, and stakeholders to ensure the welfare of seafarers and uninterrupted operations. All Indian seafarers are safe, with no incident reports received.
The DG Shipping control room has handled over 8,414 calls and 18,064 emails, including 41 calls and 99 emails in the last 24 hours; it has assisted in the return of over 2,976 Indian seafarers to India, including 23 in the past day. All ports are functioning normally, with no reports of congestion.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
