Bhopal, April 7 (IANS) The Cabinet Committee of Madhya Pradesh, constituted to assess the impact of global developments and the evolving situation in West Asia, reviewed the availability and supply status of key petroleum products, including petrol, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), compressed natural gas (CNG), and piped natural gas (PNG) on Tuesday.

During the review meeting, officials were instructed to ensure the adequate availability of commercial LPG cylinders at both district and tehsil levels.

The committee emphasised strict vigilance against irregularities and warned that immediate action must be taken against any instances of black marketing.

Officials informed the committee that petroleum products are currently available in sufficient quantities in the state, supported by steady crude oil availability.

However, domestic LPG bookings are witnessing waiting periods of around 25 days in urban areas and up to 45 days in rural regions, according to a press note from the state government on Tuesday.

Despite this, authorities maintained that the booking volume remains within normal limits and supply is being managed regularly.

The State Nodal Officer for oil companies, Ajay Srivastava, stated that commercial LPG cylinders are currently being supplied at a 70 per cent limit, in line with directives from the Central Government. This marks a significant increase from the earlier 20 per cent supply cap.

The Committee also reviewed enforcement actions taken against black marketing. So far, raids have been conducted at 3,226 locations, leading to the seizure of 3,872 gas cylinders, with 11 First Information Reports registered in connection with violations.

Meanwhile, City Gas Distribution entities have been assigned a target to provide two lakh new PNG connections within the next three months.

In the last 24 hours alone, 225 new connections have been issued. Authorities have been directed to closely monitor daily application volumes and ensure timely delivery of connections.

Consumers residing near existing pipeline networks have been advised to apply for PNG connections promptly, as LPG connections in such areas may be discontinued within three months.

To facilitate expansion, departments have been instructed to grant pipeline-related permissions within 24 hours, while district-level monitoring mechanisms and consumer grievance redressal control rooms have also been established to streamline implementation.

–IANS

pd/dan