New Delhi, 15 April (H.S.):

In the midst of energy disruptions triggered by the ongoing crisis in West Asia, the Central Government said on Wednesday that the 100 per cent supply of piped natural gas (PNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to domestic consumers has been ensured, with priority given to their requirements.

She said that petrol stations across the country have sufficient fuel stocks on hand.

Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing and Oil Refineries) in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said at an inter‑ministerial press briefing that several effective measures have been put in place to stabilise the energy landscape and sustain essential services.

The West Asia crisis has impacted India’s energy supply, she said, but the Government has ensured that domestic supply continues uninterrupted through timely corrective actions.

She added that domestic PNG and LPG consumers have been accorded the highest priority and that 100 per cent supply continuity has been maintained.

Sharma stated that CNG supply for transport has also been kept

uninterrupted.

Domestic refineries have increased LPG production, and the booking interval has been extended to 25 days in urban areas and 45 days in rural areas.

Commercial LPG supply has been restored up to 70 per cent, with priority given to hospitals, educational institutions, and key sectors such as pharma, steel, automobile, seed and agriculture.

In addition, the availability of 5‑kilogram cylinders has been doubled, and alternative fuels such as kerosene and coal have also been made available to cushion the impact.

LPG supply remains stable, and no reports of shortage have been received from any distributor.

Online bookings remain strong at 98 per cent, and 93 per cent of deliveries are being completed through secure, authentication‑based systems.

Speaking at the same briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhira Jaiswal said that the Prime Minister received a phone call yesterday from U.S. President Donald Trump.

The two leaders reviewed the significant progress made under India–U.S. bilateral cooperation.

He said that both sides remain committed to further strengthening their broad‑based, global strategic partnership across all areas of cooperation.

The two leaders also discussed the situation in West Asia and underlined the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure.

Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said that all Indian seafarers present in the Gulf region are safe.

No incident involving Indian‑flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours.The DG Shipping control room has so far handled 6,449 calls and more than 13,343 emails, including 157 calls and 215 emails received in the last 24 hours.

The Ministry has helped 2,337 Indian seafarers return safely to the country through DG Shipping, including 75 who have returned in the last 24 hours.At the briefing, Additional Secretary and Development Commissioner Dr. Rajneesh of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) said that more than 20 lakh new MSMEs have been registered on the enterprise portal during February–March, pushing the total number of registered units beyond 8 crore.

Credit support remains strong, he added.

He said that outstanding credit to MSMEs has crossed ₹36.7 lakh crore, with quarterly credit growth at 23.5 per cent.

The loan limit without any collateral for micro and small enterprises has been raised from ₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh, effective from 1 April 2026.

Dr. Rajneesh said that credit‑guarantee support also remains robust.

During February–March, over 5.27 lakh guarantees worth ₹92,000 crore were extended.

In the liquidity‑support segment, invoice discounting on the TReDS platform has seen a major surge, rising from ₹4,300 crore in 2022 to over ₹7 lakh crore now, including ₹85,000 crore booked in February–March alone.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar