New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday that citizens should avoid the panic purchase of petrol, diesel and LPG as the supply situation in the country today is normal, with the Government pulling out all stops to ensure the availability of all essential items.

The minister’s comments came after the 6th meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) undertook a review of the availability of essential commodities and the resilience of the country’s supply chains, keeping the West Asia situation in mind.

“The Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been doing excellent work since the conflict in West Asia broke out. The GoM expressed gratitude to PM Modi for his farsighted vision and providing outstanding leadership during difficult times,” Rajnath Singh added.

Meanwhile, the Government has notified the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Amendment Order, 2026, aimed to provide additional relaxation and convenience to domestic LPG consumers who shift to piped natural gas (PNG) connections.

Under the amended provisions, LPG consumers who have PNG connections as well may apply for termination of the LPG connection within 30 days of obtaining a PNG connection. These consumers may obtain a transfer voucher for future restoration of the LPG connection in a non-PNG area, according to an official statement issued on Monday.

This amendment provides significant relief and flexibility to consumers who may subsequently shift to areas where PNG infrastructure may not be feasible.

About 7.99 Lakh PNG connections have been gasified and infrastructure created for additional 2.87 Lakh connections, taking the total to 10.86 lakh connections since March this year, according to an official statement.

Around 1.72 crore domestic LPG cylinders were delivered against bookings of around 1.66 crore cylinders during the last four days. The public sector oil companies also organised about 15,400 awareness camps for small 5 Kg LPG cylinders and have sold more than 2.45 lakh such cylinders during these camps since April 3 this year.

LPG consumers are requested to use digital booking platforms and avoid visiting distributors. Citizens are encouraged to use alternative fuels such as PNG and electric or induction cooktops. All citizens are requested to make necessary efforts to conserve energy in their daily use during the current situation, the statement added.

–IANS

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