New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) More than 67,000 cylinders have been seized in multiple raids across the country to curb hoarding and black marketing of cooking gas since March this year, according to an update issued by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on Monday.

Further, over 1,160 FIRs have been registered, and 271 persons have been arrested during this period. More than 2,800 raids were also conducted nationwide on Monday.

The government has sent a clear signal that strict action will be taken against unscrupulous elements trying to exploit the situation caused by supply chain disruptions triggered by the Middle East conflict.

Public sector oil companies have strengthened and continued surprise inspections and imposed penalties on 316 LPG distributorships, and 72 LPG distributorships have been suspended so far. Show cause notices were issued to 46 LPG distributors on Monday, penalties were imposed on six distributorships, and one distributor was put under suspension.

Meanwhile, online domestic LPG cylinder bookings have increased to 99 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 at the distributor level.

The supply of cooking gas continues to be normal with no dry-outs being reported at retail distributorships.

Over 42,800 PNG consumers have surrendered their LPG connections via MyPNGD.in website till Monday, which will help ease some pressure on LPG demand.

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

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 closure of 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 ministry said in a statement.

–IANS

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