Srinagar, Apr 22 (KINS): Press Information Bureau on Wednesday held a press conference in Jammu to brief the media about the availability of petrol, diesel and LPG in Jammu and Kashmir amid the ongoing situation in West Asia.
Director PIB Jammu, Neha Jalali said the Government of India has taken several steps to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential petroleum products across the country.
She said more than 30 inter-ministerial meetings have been held in New Delhi to review the supply of fuel, LPG and fertilizers.
She said PIB and other media units are continuously providing accurate information and countering rumours and fake news regarding fuel shortages. She appealed to people not to panic and rely only on official information.
Executive Director and State Head of Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Ashutosh Gupta, said the supply of petrol, diesel and LPG remains normal in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
He said there is enough stock available and refineries are working at higher capacity to meet demand.
He said despite disruptions in the national supply chain, Jammu and Kashmir has managed to maintain over 70 percent of its normal commercial LPG supply. Against the earlier average of 2,072 commercial cylinders per day, the region is currently receiving 1,958 cylinders daily.
Ashutosh Gupta said the country is facing a 25 to 30 percent LPG supply deficit because of disruption in the Strait of Hormuz region, but Jammu and Kashmir has not faced any serious shortage due to coordinated efforts by oil companies and the government.
He added that indigenous LPG production has been increased by 25 to 30 percent to strengthen supplies. He said there is no shortage of LPG in the Union Territory and people should not resort to panic buying.
To check hoarding and black marketing, IOCL has conducted 9,128 raids and 181 surprise inspections. Officials have seized 295 cylinders and registered three FIRs. The corporation has also issued 69 show-cause notices against violators.
Gupta said IOCL is following a zero-tolerance policy against hoarding and illegal sale of LPG cylinders. He warned that strict legal action will be taken against anyone found involved in black marketing.
He further said LPG booking is now being done through an OTP-based verification system and nearly 92 percent of bookings are being made digitally by genuine customers.
For migrant labourers and daily wage workers, IOCL has arranged 5-kg Free Trade LPG cylinders. Around 55 camps have been organised across Jammu and Kashmir to make these cylinders available easily.
The IOCL official said the allocation of commercial LPG has been increased to nearly 70 percent of pre-crisis levels, while the allocation of 5-kg cylinders for migrant workers has been doubled.
He said demand for commercial LPG from hospitals, schools, colleges and hotels has increased sharply from 20 percent to nearly 70 percent.
Gupta also said the Government of India is encouraging the use of Piped Natural Gas and that a main gas pipeline is expected to bring PNG supply to Jammu and Kashmir within the next year.
Himanshu Sharma and other officials of IOCL were also present during the press conference.(KINS)
