Government Assures No Fuel Price Hike Amid West Asia Conflict, Supplies Stable

In an inter-ministerial briefing, Petroleum Ministry officials said there had been no dry-outs at retail outlets, while online refill bookings for LPG are at an all-time high. Delivery authentication for LPG stands at 94 per cent, with commercial LPG sales at 215,000 tonnes and auto LPG sales at 11,100 tonnes since April.

The 5kg domestic LPG cylinder sales have seen 100 per cent coverage, with 2.3 million cylinders sold in a month, and over 10,000 awareness camps conducted, leading to 176,000 additional cylinders sold.

The government added that Natural gas supplies to fertiliser plants are running at 98 per cent, while city gas distribution has added 612,000 new PNG connections in March. An additional 267,000 connections have been created through new infrastructure, with 679,000 new customers added for PNG and 43,760 LPG users switching to PNG as of yesterday.

On fuel, officials confirmed that petrol and diesel retail prices remain unchanged and crude inventories are "sufficiently maintained," with refineries operating at optimum capacity. C3 and C4 molecules are being supplied to the pharma, paint and chemical sectors, with 10,750 tonnes of propylene and 1,670 tonnes of butyl acrylate sold by refineries since April 9. Enforcement has also been stepped up, with 1,570 raids conducted and 3,096 show-cause notices and 350 penalties issued to oil marketing companies.

The government acknowledged that international crude, LPG and natural gas prices have risen sharply, but stressed that 90 per cent of consumers are in the retail segment, which is being shielded from price volatility. For LPG, the domestic 5kg cylinder price remains unchanged, while the commercial 5kg FTL cylinder price in Delhi has risen by Rs 810.

Officials also clarified that no proposal is under consideration to provide financial support to OMCs for under-recoveries on petrol, diesel or LPG at this stage. ATF pricing for international flights has been revised, but domestic ATF prices remain unchanged.

Alternate fuel strategies are being pushed to cushion the impact, including additional kerosene allocation, coal availability for MSMEs, and a focus on green hydrogen and solar energy. The government reiterated that supply dynamics are being monitored closely and pricing decisions will be based on market fundamentals.

With the West Asia situation evolving, authorities said they remain in close coordination with stakeholders to ensure uninterrupted energy supplies and consumer protection.

- ANI