New Delhi, 26 March (H.S.):
The central government has clarified that fuel and gas supplies in the country remain fully secure and that rumours about shortages are baseless. In a message on Thursday, authorities said India currently has sufficient stocks to cover nearly 60 days of fuel requirement, with no shortage of petrol diesel or domestic cooking gas (LPG). The government has urged citizens not to believe or spread panic‑driven misinformation about fuel scarcity.
In a statement, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said the supply situation for petroleum products and LPG is fully under control and safely managed. Adequate fuel is available at more than 1,01,000 retail outlets across the country and there is no restriction or rationing anywhere.
The ministry stressed that petrol and diesel are being supplied as usual, with no curbs on any retail outlet and no change in normal distribution patterns. At the same time India, which ranks among the world’s top four or five exporters of refined petroleum products, structurally ensures that domestic fuel availability remains protected.
The ministry explained that even on the 27th day of the West Asia crisis, India still holds roughly 60 days of effective fuel reserve, combining crude oil stocks product inventories and strategic storage. Since crude oil purchases for the next two months have already been secured, the government has firmly ruled out any claim that India’s reserves are about to exhaust or become inadequate.
Despite tensions around the Strait of Hormuz crude oil supplies to India continue to be stable and Indian refineries are operating above their normal capacity with crude oil supplies already fixed for the next 60 days.
The ministry also said that domestic LPG production has increased and import requirements have been adjusted so that supplies remain sufficient. Additional LPG cargoes have been contracted from several countries, helping to ensure uninterrupted availability. The government has appealed to citizens to ignore orchestrated campaigns of distortion and not to be misled by panic‑driven social media narratives.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
