New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) More than 52 lakh domestic LPG cylinders were delivered on Wednesday as distribution of the cooking gas remains normal and no dry-outs have been reported at retail outlets.

Online LPG cylinder bookings have increased to 98 per cent, while authentication code-based deliveries, on the registered mobile number of the consumer, have increased to around 94 per cent to prevent diversion.

More than 86,000 small 5 Kg LPG cylinders, used by migrant workers for cooking, were also sold across the country on Wednesday, taking their total number to 17 lakh since April 1. Besides, public sector oil companies have organised over 8,200 awareness camps for migrant workers since April 3.

Supply of cooking gas to domestic households has been prioritised even as overall LPG supply continues to be affected by the prevailing geopolitical situation.

Over 8,483 metric tonnes (MT) of commercial LPG (equivalent to more than 4.46 lakh 19 kg cylinders) was sold on Wednesday, which takes the total amount sold during this month to 1,40,362 MT (equivalent to more than 73.87 lakh 19 kg LPG Cylinders).

About 5.18 lakh PNG connections have also been gasified since March, and infrastructure has been created for an additional 2.58 lakh connections, taking the total to 7.76 lakh connections. Further, about 5.87 lakh customers have been registered for new connections.

Till April 21, more than 41,000 PNG consumers have surrendered their LPG connections via MYPNGD.in website.

Meanwhile, as enforcement actions continue across the country to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, more than 2600 raids were conducted on Wednesday in which 285 cylinders were seized nationwide.

Cumulatively, till date, more than 1.5 lakh raids have been conducted, and more than 66,000 cylinders have been seized across the country. Further, more than 1100 FIRs have been registered, and 255 persons have been arrested.

Public sector oil companies have strengthened and continued surprise inspections and imposed penalties on 298 LPG distributorships, and 70 LPG distributorships have been suspended so far.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas further stated that it is taking steps to ensure the uninterrupted availability of petroleum products and LPG across the country, in the context of the ongoing situation involving the Strait of Hormuz.

Citizens are advised to avoid panic purchase of petrol, diesel and LPG and to beware of rumours and rely on official sources for correct information. LPG consumers are requested to use digital booking platforms and avoid visiting distributors.

All refineries are operating at high capacity with adequate crude inventories, while sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel are being maintained. Local LPG production from refineries has been increased to support domestic consumption, the statement added.

–IANS

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