Amid the evolving situation in West Asia, the Government of India continues its efforts to keep citizens informed through regular updates. In this regard, a media briefing was held today at the National Media Centre, where officers from the Ministries of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ports, Water ways and Shipping, External Affairs provided updates on fuel availability and measures being undertaken to maintain stability across key sectors.

Energy Supply and Fuel Availability

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas provided an update on the current fuel supply situation, outlining measures being taken to ensure uninterrupted availability of petroleum products and LPG in the context of the evolving situation in West Asia. It was noted that:

Public Advisory and Citizen Awareness

• Citizens are advised to avoid panic purchase of petrol, diesel and LPG as the Govt is making all efforts to ensure availability of petrol, diesel and LPG.
•  Beware of rumours and rely on official sources for correct information.
• LPG consumers are requested to use digital booking platforms and avoid visiting distributors.
•  Citizens are encouraged to use alternate fuels such as PNG and electric or induction cooktops.
• Bulk and industrial consumers are requested to procure diesel from authorized procurement channel.
•  All citizens are requested to make necessary efforts to conserve energy in their daily use during the current situation.

Government Preparedness and Supply Management Measures

• Despite the ongoing geopolitical situation, the Government has ensured that 100% supply is being made to Domestic LPG, Domestic PNG and CNG (Transport).
• For commercial LPG, priority has been given to hospitals, educational institutions. Besides this, priority has also been given to pharma, steel, automobile, seed, agriculture, etc. In addition to this, supply of 5 Kg FTL to migrant labour is also doubled based on avg. daily supply on 2nd and 3rd March 2026.
• The Government has already implemented several rationalisation measures on both the supply and demand side, including enhancing refinery production, increasing the booking interval from 21 to 25 days in urban areas and up to 45 days in rural areas and prioritising sectors for supply.

Coordinated Efforts with States/UTs and Institutional Mechanisms

• State Governments are empowered under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and LPG Control Order, 2000 to monitor supply and act against hoarding and black marketing.
• Govt. of States/UTs have to play a primary role in monitoring and regulating supply situation of essential commodities including Petrol, Diesel and LPG. Govt. of India has reiterated the same via multiple letters and VCs to all States/UTs.
• Government of India vide multiple letters and VCs have stressed the need for proactive public communication to reassure citizens regarding adequate fuel availability.
• Again, Govt. of India vide letter dated 26.05.2026 has requested Chief Secretaries of all States/UTs to issue appropriate direction to State/district authorities to monitor and review district wise HSD/MS offtake pattern, intensify inspections and enforcement activities in vulnerable areas and along major transportation/industrial corridors to prevent unauthorized procurement of HSD through retail outlets by industrial and commercial consumers and initiate prompt penal action against violators.

Enforcement and Monitoring Actions

• Enforcement actions by States / UTs continue across the country to curb hoarding and black marketing of Petrol, Diesel and LPG.

• LPG related enforcement - During last 4 days, more than 6500 raids were conducted, more than 380 cylinders were seized, 5 FIRs were registered and 2 persons were arrested across the country.
• Petrol, Diesel related enforcement - During last 2 days, about 900 raids were conducted wherein 417 litres of Petrol and 75715 litres of Diesel was seized, 12 FIRs were registered and 15 persons were arrested across the country.

• Similarly, the surprise inspections by the PSU OMCs officials are also continuing-

• LPG distributorships - During last 4 days, inspections at more than 800 LPG distributorships have been conducted. Penalties have been imposed on 45 LPG distributorships.
• Retail Outlets – During last 4 days, inspections at more than 4660 retail outlets have been conducted. . Penalties have also been imposed on 73 Retail Outlets, and 562 Retail outlets have been put under suspension.

LPG Supply

Domestic LPG Supply Status:

• LPG supply continues to be affected by the prevailing geopolitical situation.
• Supply of LPG to domestic households has been prioritized.
• No dry-outs have been reported at LPG distributorships.
• Online LPG cylinder bookings increased to about 99% on an industry basis yesterday.
• Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) based deliveries have increased to about 96% to prevent diversion. DAC is received on the registered mobile number of the consumer.

• During last 4 days, about 1.80 Crore LPG cylinders were delivered against bookings of around 1.78 Crore LPG cylinders.

Commercial LPG Supply and Allocation Measures:

• Govt. of India has decided to allocate total commercial allocation to 70% of the pre-crises level incl. 10% reform based.
• During last 4 days, about 2.42 Lakh – 5 Kg FTL cylinders were sold.
• Yesterday, around 2537 - 5kg FTL cylinders were sold through about 176 camps.

• During last 4 days, total of 29,814 MT of Commercial LPG has been sold.
• During last 4 days, about 954 MT of Auto LPG has been sold by PSU OMCs.

Natural Gas Supply and PNG Expansion Initiatives

• Consumers have been prioritised with 100% supplies to D-PNG and CNG-Transport.
• Supply to operating Urea Plants is currently at around 99% of their average consumption over the preceding six months.
• Gas supply to other industrial and commercial sectors, including supplies through CGD networks, is enhanced up to 80%.
• CGD entities have been advised to prioritize PNG connections for commercial establishments such as hotels, restaurants and canteens across all their GAs, to address concerns regarding the availability of commercial LPG.
• States/UTs and Central Ministries have been requested to expedite approvals required for expansion of CGD networks.
• The Government of India vide letter dated 18.03.2026 has offered all States/UTs additional 10% allocation of commercial LPG to States provided they can help in long term transition from LPG to PNG.
• 22 States/UTs are receiving additional commercial LPG allocation linked to PNG expansion reforms.
• The Government of India vide Gazette dated 24.03.2026 has notified the Natural Gas and Petroleum Products Distribution (Through Laying, Building, Operation and Expansion of Pipelines and Other Facilities) Order, 2026 under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. The Order provides a streamlined and time-bound framework for laying and expanding pipelines across the country, addressing delays in approvals and access to land, and enabling faster development of natural gas infrastructure, including in residential areas. It is expected to accelerate PNG network growth, enhance last-mile connectivity, and support the transition to cleaner fuels, thereby strengthening energy security and advancing India’s gas-based economy.
• PNGRB has directed CGD entities to expedite D-PNG connections. Also, the National PNG Drive 2.0 has been extended till 30.06.2026 to sustain momentum in PNG expansion.
• To encourage a cleaner, more secure and self-reliant energy future, the Government of India has developed a model draft State CBG Policy. The model policy is intended to serve as a comprehensive flexible guiding framework to enable States to create their own investor-friendly and implementation-oriented ecosystem for CBG development. Those States which opt for this, will be prioritized for the next tranche of additional allocation of commercial LPG.
• As per the Govt. of India gazette notification dated 25.05.2026, LPG consumers who also have PNG connections shall have the following options:

• Consumers may apply for termination of the LPG connection within 30 days of obtaining PNG connection; or
• Consumers may obtain a transfer voucher for future restoration of LPG connection in a non-PNG area.

· Since March 2026, about 8.3 Lakh PNG connections have been gasified and infrastructure has been created for additional 2.91 Lakh connections, taking the total to 11.21 lakh connections. Further, about 8.53 Lakh customers have been registered for new connections.

• Till 28.05.2026, about 60,400 PNG consumers have surrendered their LPG connections via MYPNGD.in website.

Crude Position and Refinery Operations

• All refineries are operating at high capacity with adequate crude inventories, while sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel are being maintained.
• Domestic LPG production from refineries has been increased to  about 52 TMT/day to support domestic consumption.
• An inter-ministerial Joint Working Group (JWG) has been set up to ensure availability of petrochemical feedstock supply for the domestic market. Subsequently, Govt. of India vide order dated 01.04.2026 has permitted Oil Refinery companies including Petrochemical Complexes to make certain minimum quantities of C3 & C4 streams available for critical sectors as determined by Centre for High Technology (CHT).
• Based on the requests received from the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Department of Chemicals & Petro Chemicals (DCPC), Dept. for Promotion of Industry and internal trade (DPIIT), the provision for C3-C4 molecules of 1120 MT/day, from LPG pool, has been made for Pharma, Chemical and Paint sector companies.

• Since 1st May 2026, more than 13870 MT of C3-C4 Molecules (comprising Propylene and Butylene) and more than 5380 MT of Butyl Acrylate has been sold by Mumbai, Kochi, Vizag, Chennai, Mathura and Gujarat refineries to Chemical, Pharma and Paint Industry.

Retail Fuel Availability and pricing Measures

• All Retail outlets are operating normally across the country.

• Middle East crisis has resulted in abnormal increase in the crude prices. In order to protect consumers from this impact, the Government of India has decided to absorb a part of this burden through a reduction in excise duties on petrol and diesel by Rs. 10/litre.
• Unusually high sales and heavy crowding is observed at Retail outlets in certain areas. However, it is informed that there are adequate stocks of petrol and diesel available at all Petrol Pumps in the country.
• In more than 150 districts, the sale of petrol and diesel has increased by more than 30%.
• There is decline in the sale of private oil marketing companies (-38%) and bulk sale of PSU OMCs (-29%). This volume has shifted to retail outlets of PSU OMCs.
• States/UTs have been requested to form special squads and take action on  malpractice of bulk consumers and hoarders taking supplies meant for retail consumers, black marketing, unauthorised stocking and diversion of petroleum products under relevant provisions of EC Act and Control orders issued thereunder.
• Industry associations have been requested to advice their members to purchase diesel from authorised procurement channels.

Maritime Safety and Shipping Operations

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways provided an update on the prevailing maritime situation in the Persian Gulf, detailing the measures being undertaken to ensure the safety and security of Indian vessels and crew in the region. It was stated that:

• Vessel Update: NISSOS KEROS, a Marshall Islands-flagged crude oil tanker, carrying approximately 270,000 MT of crude oil cargo for India under charter to HPCL, with 25 foreign crew members onboard and no Indian seafarers, safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz on 25/26 May 2026 and is expected to arrive at Visakhapatnam on 03 June 2026.
• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways continues to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Missions, and maritime stakeholders to ensure seafarer welfare and uninterrupted maritime operations.
• All Indian seafarers in the region are safe, and no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels or foreign vessels with Indian crew has been reported in the past 96 hours.
• DG Shipping Control Room has handled 10,841 calls and more than 24,098 emails since activation. In the last 96 hours, a total of 509 calls and 1,332 emails have been received from seafarers, their families, and maritime stakeholders.
• The Ministry, through the Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping), has facilitated the safe repatriation of more than 3,422 Indian seafarers so far, including 47 in the last 96 hours from various locations across the Gulf region.
• Port operations across India remain normal, with no congestion reported.

Safety of Indian Nationals in the Region

The Ministry of External Affairs continues to monitor developments in the Gulf and West Asia region, with focused efforts on ensuring safety, security and welfare of the Indian community in the region. It was informed that:

• The Ministry of External Affairs is in regular contact with State Governments and Union Territories for sharing of information and better alignment of efforts.
• Indian embassies and consulates continue to operate round-the-clock helplines to provide timely assistance and are proactively assisting our citizens. They are also in close contact with the local Governments.
• Advisories are being issued including information related to local government guidelines, flight and travel situations, consular services and various welfare measures being undertaken for the community.
• Indian Missions are actively engaged with the resident Indian community. They are regularly interacting with the Indian community associations, organizations, professional groups, and Indian companies to address their concerns.
• Government is according high priority to the welfare of Indian seafarers in the region. Indian Missions are extending all assistance to them including coordination with the local authorities and agencies, extending consular assistance, and assisting for requests to return to India.
• The overall flight situation continues to improve with additional flights operating from the region to various destinations in India.
• UAE airspace is open. Indian and UAE carriers are operating flights from UAE to various destinations in India.
• Flights continue to operate from various airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman to various destinations in India.
• Qatar airspace is partially open. Air India, Air India Express, Indigo and Qatar Airways are operating flights from Qatar to various destinations in India.
• Kuwait airspace is open. Jazeera Airways and Kuwait Airways are operating flights from Kuwait to India. Indian carriers are also expected to resume operations from Kuwait to India soon.
• Bahrain airspace is open. Air India Express, Indigo and Gulf Air are operating flights from Bahrain to various destinations in India.
• Iraq airspace is open with limited flight operations to destinations in the region, which can be used for onward travel to India. 
• Iran airspace is partially open. Ministry has advised Indian nationals to avoid travelling to Iran and urged those already there to leave with Indian embassy’s support. So far, Indian Embassy in Tehran has facilitated movement of 2,557 Indian nationals out of Iran through land border routes.
• Israel airspace is open and limited flight operations have resumed to destinations in the region, which can be used for onward travel to India.

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 TM