Amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri gave a big statement in the Parliament on Thursday. He said that there is no shortage of petrol, diesel and kerosene in the country. There is 100 percent supply. There is no problem. The Petroleum Minister said that due to the Israel-Iran conflict, the supply from the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s crude, gas and LPG passes, has been disrupted. Despite this, India’s crude oil supply is secure as India has increased its dependence on non-Hormuz sources to 70% and is now buying oil from 40 countries.
On LPG shortage, Puri said that LPG production has been increased by 28% in the last five days. Domestic supply is completely safe and the standard delivery time from booking still remains 2.5 days. He said that to prevent hoarding and panic booking, a minimum booking period of 25 days in urban areas and 45 days in rural/difficult areas has been implemented. Also, OTP (One Time Code) based delivery authentication is being expanded from 50% to 90% of consumers to prevent unauthorized diversion.
Priority to domestic supply
The Petroleum Minister said that under the Natural Gas Control Order issued on March 9, 2026, domestic piped gas and CNG have been given priority with 100% supply. 80% supply to industries and 70% supply to fertilizer plants has been ensured. Hospitals and educational institutions have also been kept in the priority list for uninterrupted LPG supply.
Government is bearing additional costs
The Union Minister said that despite the huge increase in global prices, the government has protected Indian consumers from it. The price of a cylinder for Ujjwala (PMUY) beneficiaries in Delhi is ₹603, while the prices in neighboring countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal are much higher.
The government itself is bearing a large part of the additional cost of the global market. To reduce the pressure on LPG, industries and hotel/restaurant sector have been allowed to use alternative fuels like biomass, RDF pellets and kerosene for a month.