New Delhi, 08 June (H.S.):

The Central Government on Monday stated that supplies of crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas remain stable despite the ongoing crisis in West Asia. The government also assured that the country has adequate stocks of petrol, diesel and domestic cooking gas to meet demand.

Addressing an inter-ministerial press briefing in New Delhi, Praveen M. Khanuja, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said that the supply chain for crude oil, LPG and natural gas continues to function smoothly despite the prevailing geopolitical situation in the region.

He noted that domestic production of LPG by refineries and fractionation units is currently operating at peak levels. Daily LPG output has reached approximately 52,000 to 53,000 metric tonnes, nearly 60 per cent higher than pre-crisis levels.

Khanuja said there have been no reports of stock depletion at LPG distributorships across the country. He added that the backlog in LPG deliveries has fallen to less than four days. Furthermore, around 99 per cent of LPG cylinder bookings are now made online, while compliance with the Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) system stands at nearly 96 per cent.

Speaking at the same briefing, Aparna S. Sharma, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, said that fertiliser procurement for the current kharif season has reached 8.665 million metric tonnes, accounting for 22.57 per cent of the total seasonal requirement.

She further stated that farmers have purchased 1.117 million metric tonnes of organic fertilisers so far, compared to 0.320 million metric tonnes during the corresponding period last year. According to Sharma, this reflects a growing preference for organic nutrient sources among farmers.

Sharma said there are currently no major concerns regarding fertiliser availability. Domestic production and imports continue uninterrupted, and a total of 14.740 million metric tonnes of fertilisers have either been produced or imported so far. She added that more than 25,000 metric tonnes of imported urea, DAP and NPK fertilisers arrived at Indian ports during June.

Meanwhile, Opesh Kumar Sharma, Director in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, informed reporters about a fire incident involving the vessel MT Marivex at around 1:30 p.m. on Monday.

He said that 24 Indian sailors were on board the vessel at the time of the incident and that all crew members are safe. Efforts are underway to ensure their continued safety in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions abroad, the Indian Navy and the Ministry of Defence.

The government reiterated that it is closely monitoring developments in West Asia and remains committed to ensuring uninterrupted supplies of essential energy resources and agricultural inputs across the country.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar