"PM is not being given correct info" on LPG shortage, alleges SP MP Ram Gopal Yadav

New Delhi [India], March 13 : Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav on Friday claimed that high-ranking officials are providing incorrect data to the Prime Minister regarding the availability of cooking gas, leading to a disconnect between government claims and the ground reality.
"...The Prime Minister is not being given correct information by the officials, as he is claiming that there is no shortage of LPG...They should see the reality on the ground, people are standing in long queues..." Yadav said.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the gathering at the NXT conclave in Bharat Mandapam in the national capital, said, "First, to increase energy access in the country, we build infrastructure. Second, we do not have to rely solely on foreign sources for energy. For this, we emphasised self-reliance in the energy sector."
"There's a lot of discussion these days about LPG. Some people are trying to create panic and pursue their own agenda. I don't want to comment on them politically at this time. But I will definitely say that by doing so, they are exposing themselves to the public and causing significant harm to the entire country. No country is untouched by the impact of this global crisis caused by war. To a greater or lesser extent, everyone is affected by this crisis. India is also leaving no stone unturned to address this crisis. And we are making efforts at various levels. Recently, I have discussed this with top leaders from several countries around the world. Continuous efforts are also underway to overcome the obstacles in the supply chain," the PM stated.
On Wednesday, the Delhi government clarified that the supply of LPG, petrol, diesel and PNG in the national capital remains completely normal and there is no shortage of any fuel. The government has appealed to residents not to pay attention to rumours being circulated about gas supply and to avoid unnecessary panic or hoarding, the Chief Minister's office said on Wednesday.
On the same day, a key review meeting was held under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary of Delhi. Senior officials from the Department of Food, Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Delhi Police, the Revenue Department, Indraprastha Gas Limited and various oil marketing companies participated in the meeting.
The discussion focused on rumours suggesting that LPG supplies could be disrupted due to war-like developments in West Asia, and the situation was reviewed in detail.
Officials from Indraprastha Gas Limited informed the meeting that the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, issued an order on March 9.
The order provides guidelines to ensure the proper and equitable distribution and availability of domestic PNG and CNG in priority sectors. Officials clarified that there is no shortage of domestic PNG in Delhi. At the same time, after revising supply priorities, nearly 80 percent uninterrupted gas supply has also been restored for industrial sectors.
Meanwhile, the LPG shortage has been worsened by the halt in imports through the Strait of Hormuz due to the ongoing Iran-US-Israel conflict. However, Iranian authorities have allowed Indian-flagged vessels to pass safely as maritime traffic remains largely suspended in the region.
A Liberia-flagged tanker, the Shenlong Suezmax, carrying Saudi crude, reached the Mumbai Port at 1 pm on Wednesday, becoming the first India-bound vessel to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran-US conflict began.