New Delhi: The informal group of ministers (iGoM), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, was informed on Wednesday that India has evacuated "a higher
number of vessels than any other country from the Strait of Hormuz over the past 40 days." Authorities have reportedly rescued eight LPG vessels, carrying approximately 340TM, from the Strait of Hormuz in the past 40 days. The iGOM further assured that India's energy supplies are stable and that the LPG vessels rescued from Hormuz could easily last 11 days of the country's import requirements. “Oil PSU retail pump outlets continue to dispense auto LPG to support the public transportation requirements. However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, causing increased footfall in PSU outlets,” an official statement said. Also Read - LPG Crisis and Elections: What’s Fact, What’s Politics? The iGoM also directed all departments to continue focusing on preparedness, coordination and resilience building to stay ready to deal with any eventuality due to conflict in West Asia. Earlier, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas stated categorically that domestic LPG production had been ramped up by 40 per cent, with over 50 lakh cylinders delivered daily, and that there was no shortage of household cooking gas anywhere in the country. Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stated in Parliament on March 12 that the government's foremost priority was that the kitchens of India's 33 crore families, especially the poor and underprivileged, do not face any shortage, and that the standard delivery cycle of 2.5 days from booking to receipt remained unchanged. For the unversed, India's domestic LPG production covers only 40 per cent of national consumption. The remaining 60 per cent is imported, with 90 per cent of those imports normally routed through Hormuz, according to OilPrice.com. A pipeline that was blocked for nearly 40 days does not refill in a week.
