‘All refineries are working at 100 per cent capacity at the moment, and 60 lakh cylinders are supplied daily in the country,’ sources said.
Staring at an LPG shortage due to the Iran crisis, the government has asked refineries to increase production, leading to 10 per cent more gas reserves in the country, ministry sources said on Tuesday.
Stating that there is “no shortage of gas reserves” for domestic consumers in the country’s refineries, ministry sources said that the short-term shortage was diffused by increased production. To deal with LPG shortage-related issues, the Centre has now constituted a three-member committee. This committee has begun receiving public feedback and is developing strategies based on that.
“The gas shortage is being diverted from the industry. We are taking a few crucial steps to offset any shortage, and unless this is a long-drawn affair in West Asia, our endeavour is to ensure that prices remain stabilised,” ministry officials said.
Reacting to reports of problems with commercial cylinders, government sources said that most commercial setups have now switched to induction plates, but any problems are still being addressed.
Among the steps, officials said, is increasing the booking period between two cylinders in households from 21 days to 25 days. “Stock used to arrive at distributors within two and a half days, but today it is just two and a half days from when the crisis started for us. All refineries are working at 100 per cent capacity at the moment, and 60 lakh cylinders are supplied daily in the country,” sources said.
Officials also added that the increase of Rs 60 per cylinder levied last week was not due to the current situation, but due to last year’s under coverage.