Vijayawada, April 17 (PTI) The state-level coordinator for oil marketing companies in Andhra on Friday assured that there is no need to panic over the availability of cooking gas and fuel, as inventories of LPG and petrol and diesel are sufficient for three days and 15 days, respectively.
Addressing a press conference in Vijayawada, N Bhaskara Reddy, who is also a general manager with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), said oil marketing companies (OMCs) have consistently maintained a three-day LPG inventory over the past month.
“Over the last month, we have been continuously maintaining a three-day LPG inventory. There is no problem with respect to LPG availability so far. With respect to petrol and diesel, over the last one and a half months, we have been maintaining an inventory sufficient for 15 days. There is no shortage in the market,” Reddy said.
Though there was panic booking for cooking gas in the initial days of the West Asia conflict, with orders rising to four lakh, he said the frenzy has since eased to an average of two lakh bookings across the three OMCs—HPCL, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL).
Following the onset of the West Asia conflict, he said cooking gas cylinder delivery timelines had deteriorated to up to 10 days but have now improved to five to six days.
He added that OMCs are striving to restore the pre-war normalcy of two to three days within a week.
Reddy said the three companies are meeting up to 70 per cent of commercial demand, including restaurants and other establishments, while supply to hospitals and educational institutions remains at 100 per cent.
On a daily basis, he said OMCs are supplying over 7,600 commercial LPG cylinders of 19 kg capacity each.
Further, IOCL is supplying piped gas to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) to meet its requirements for preparing the famous laddus and annaprasadam (consecrated sweet and free food for devotees). Other temples are also being supplied with cooking gas as required.
Likewise, migrant labourers are being supplied with five-kg cylinders, ensuring adequate availability, especially in high-demand pockets.
“There is no problem with LPG. My request to customers is that there is no need to panic. Supplies are normal. If there is any panic, the state government is also intervening,” he said.
As per the directives of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Central Government, in coordination with the state government, he said that wherever there is a backlog, additional LPG supplies will be ensured.
Reddy underscored that the state government is considering expanding the use of piped natural gas (PNG) to reduce dependence on LPG, most of which is imported. PTI STH SSK
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