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Friday, 13 March 2026

1. Prime Minister Modi Warns of Strict Action Against LPG Black Marketing

 

 


Prime Minister Narendra Modi has issued a stern warning to those spreading rumors regarding LPG. He stated that certain individuals are purposefully creating fear about LPG supplies to seek personal profit. He assured that strict action will be taken against such people and emphasized that citizens will not be allowed to face any hardship.

While speaking at the NXT Summit held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on Thursday, March 12, the Prime Minister noted that spreading rumors during a global energy crisis is harmful to the nation. He stressed that the country must face the situation with calm and patience, involving the cooperation of the government, political parties, media, social organizations, and citizens.

Key Points from the Speech:

  • Unity in Crisis: When the whole country works together, even major crises can be overcome easily.
  • Energy Self-Reliance: India is promoting various energy sources, strengthening infrastructure, and aiming for energy independence.
  • LPG Growth: In 2014, there were 14 crore LPG connections; today, there are over 33 crore. Gas bottling capacity has also doubled.
  • Infrastructure Expansion: The number of LNG terminals has doubled since 2014. Piped gas reach has increased from 25–26 lakh households to 1.25 crore households.
  • Railway Electrification: Indian Railways is now nearly 100% electrified (compared to 20% in 2014), saving 180 crore liters of fuel in 2024–25.

2. Fuel and LPG Supply Secure in India; Says Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, informed the Lok Sabha that despite the stress on global energy supplies due to the Middle East conflict, India's supply of petrol, diesel, natural gas, and LPG is completely secure.

Strategic Diversification

Due to tensions between Iran, Israel, and the U.S., traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—which accounts for 20% of global oil/gas trade—has been disrupted. However, India has successfully managed the situation by diversifying imports.

  • Route Shift: Previously, 45% of India's crude oil came via Hormuz; now, 70% comes via alternative routes.
  • Broad Sourcing: India currently imports crude oil from 40 different countries.
  • No Shortage: There is no shortage of petrol, diesel, kerosene, ATF, or fuel oil.

Alternative LNG & LPG Production

  • Natural Gas: Domestic production stands at 90 MMSCMD. Piped Natural Gas (PNG) for homes and CNG for vehicles are running at 100% supply.
  • LPG Surge: About 60% of LPG is imported and 40% is produced domestically. In the last five days, domestic LPG production has been increased by 28%.
  • Delivery Standards: The government is maintaining a delivery period of approximately 2.5 days. To prevent hoarding, booking intervals have been set to 25 days for urban areas and 45 days for rural areas.

3. Don't Panic: 4 Ways to Book Your LPG Cylinder

Due to the conflict in the Middle East and the blockading of the Hormuz route, some citizens have faced difficulties with traditional phone-call bookings. However, the government has directed that LPG supply be prioritized for domestic use. If you cannot reach the booking office by phone, use these four alternatives:

Methods for Booking:

Method

Indane

Bharat Gas

HP Gas

WhatsApp

Text "REFILL" to 7588888824

Text "Hi" or "Book" to 1800224344

Text "Hi" or "Book" to 9222201122

SMS

SMS "REFILL" to 7718955555

SMS "LPG" to 7715012345

Use registered mobile app

Missed Call

8454955555

7710955555

9493602222

Mobile Apps

Use UMANG, Paytm, PhonePe, or Amazon Pay

Surge in "Panic Booking"

Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing), noted that daily bookings have jumped from 55.7 lakh to 75.7 lakh cylinders. This increase is largely due to panic. The Ministry clarified that there is no need for panic booking as the supply chain remains functional.

  • Stock Status: None of the 25,000 LPG distributors in the country have reported being out of stock.
  • Kerosene: The Center has allocated an additional 48,000 kiloliters of kerosene to states for contingency.
  • Industrial Alternatives: Coal India has been directed to provide coal to small and medium industrial customers to reduce their reliance on LPG.

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