**Executive Summary**
This inter-ministerial briefing provides an update on India’s fuel security and maritime safety amid developments in West Asia as of May 21, 2026. The government has ensured 100% supply for domestic fuel needs, reduced excise duties to stabilize prices, and confirmed the safety of all Indian seafarers in the region. Key deadlines include the extension of the National PNG Drive 2.0 to June 30, 2026, and revised LPG booking intervals to manage demand.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Fuel Availability and Pricing**
* **Supply Status:** 100% supply is maintained for domestic LPG, PNG, and CNG (Transport); petrol and diesel stocks remain adequate at all retail outlets.
* **Fiscal Measures:** The government has reduced excise duties on petrol and diesel by Rs. 10/litre to offset rising crude prices and adjusted export levies on diesel, ATF, and petrol.
* **Refinery Operations:** All refineries are operating at high capacity with domestic LPG production increased to meet consumption needs.
* **Demand Management:** Booking intervals for LPG have been increased to 25 days in urban areas and 45 days in rural areas.
**LPG and Natural Gas Infrastructure**
* **Prioritization:** Commercial LPG is prioritized for hospitals, educational institutions, and the pharmaceutical and agriculture sectors.
* **PNG Transition:** Over 58,500 consumers have surrendered LPG connections in favor of PNG; the National PNG Drive 2.0 is extended to June 30, 2026.
* **Industrial Support:** A provision of 1120 MT/day of C3-C4 molecules has been allocated for the pharma, chemical, and paint sectors.
**Enforcement and Monitoring**
* **Anti-Hoarding Measures:** Over 5,000 raids were conducted in three days to curb black marketing; 463 LPG distributors faced penalties and 81 were suspended.
* **Delivery Security:** Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) based deliveries have reached 96% to prevent fuel diversion.
* **Digital Adoption:** Online LPG cylinder bookings have increased to approximately 99% on an industry basis.
**Maritime Safety and Logistics**
* **Seafarer Welfare:** No incidents involving Indian crew or flagged vessels were reported in the past 72 hours; over 3,316 seafarers have been repatriated.
* **Port Operations:** All Indian ports are operating normally with no reported congestion.
**Impact Analysis**
**Domestic Consumers**
**Impact**
Affected by revised LPG booking intervals but protected from global price hikes via a Rs. 10/litre excise duty reduction.
**Action Required**
Avoid panic buying, rely on official information sources, use digital booking platforms, and adopt energy conservation practices.
**LPG Distributors**
**Impact**
Subject to intensified monitoring, surprise inspections, and strict enforcement actions under the Essential Commodities Act.
**Action Required**
Ensure 100% compliance with DAC-based deliveries and prevent hoarding or black marketing.
**State Governments and UTs**
**Impact**
Empowered with regulatory authority to monitor essential commodity supplies and manage local distribution stability.
**Action Required**
Issue daily press briefings, counter misinformation on social media, and expedite approvals for CGD network expansions.
**Commercial and Industrial Sectors (Pharma, Steel, Hospitals)**
**Impact**
Receive prioritized allocation of commercial LPG and critical petrochemical feedstocks (C3-C4 molecules).
**Action Required**
Transition toward PNG where possible to benefit from additional commercial LPG allocations.
**Indian Seafarers and Maritime Stakeholders**
**Impact**
Benefit from high-level coordination between the Ministry of Shipping and Ministry of External Affairs for safety and repatriation.
**Action Required**
Maintain communication with the DG Shipping Control Room for emergency assistance and welfare updates.
Key Entities Referenced
Essential Commodities Act, 1955: The primary legislation cited to empower state governments to monitor fuel supplies, regulate distribution, and take enforcement actions against hoarding and black marketing.
Natural Gas and Petroleum Products Distribution (Through Laying, Building, Operation and Expansion of Pipelines and Other Facilities) Order, 2026: A regulatory order notified to provide a streamlined framework for the expansion of natural gas infrastructure and accelerate the transition to a gas-based economy.
National PNG Drive 2.0: A government initiative extended to sustain momentum in expanding Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections for residential and commercial consumers.
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas: The lead ministry responsible for ensuring the availability of petroleum products, LPG, and natural gas, and coordinating the inter-ministerial response to geopolitical developments.
LPG Control Order, 2000: A specific regulatory framework used to monitor the supply of LPG and authorize enforcement actions such as raids and inspections to maintain supply stability.
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
Inter-Ministerial Briefing on Recent
Developments in West Asia
All Indian seafarers in the region are safe, and no incident
involving Indian-flagged vessels or foreign vessels with Indian
crew reported in the past 72 hours
Delivery Authentication Code based LPG Cylinder deliveries
increased to about 96% to prevent diversion
More than 58,500 PNG consumers have surrendered their
LPG connections via MYPNGD.in website till yesterday
Adequate stocks of petrol and diesel available at all Petrol
Pumps in the country
Posted On: 21 MAY 2026 4:57PM by PIB Delhi
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, Shipping and Waterways
provided updates on fuel availability, maritime operations, 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.
All citizens are requested to make necessary efforts to conserve energy in their daily use during the
current situation.
Government Preparedness and Supply Management MeasuresDespite 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.
The Government of India vide letters dated 27.03.2026 and 02.04.2026 have stressed the need for
proactive public communication to reassure citizens regarding adequate fuel availability. Regular
review meetings are being held with States/UTs. In this context, meetings were convened on
02.04.2026 (Chaired by Secretary, MoPNG) and on 06.04.2026 (Chaired by Secretary, MoPNG
along with Secretaries of I&B and Consumer Affairs), wherein the following was emphasized:
(cid:0) To issue daily press briefings and issue regular public advisories.
(cid:0) To actively monitor and counter fake news / misinformation on social media.
(cid:0) To intensify daily enforcement drives by District admin and to continue raids and
inspections in coordination with OMCs
(cid:0) To promote PNG adoptions and alternate fuels.
(cid:0) To prioritize LPG supply, especially for domestic needs, and adopt targeted
distribution of 5 kg FTL cylinders to ensure supply stability.
Enforcement and Monitoring Actions
Enforcement actions continue across the country to curb hoarding and black marketing of
LPG. During last 3 days, more than 5000 raids were conducted across the country.
Similarly, the surprise inspections by the PSU OMCs officials are also continuing and during
last 3 days, inspections at more than 3100 RO and LPG distributorships have been conducted.
PSU OMCs have strengthened and continued surprise inspections and imposed penalties on
463 LPG distributorships, and 81 LPG distributorships have been suspended till yesterday.
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 the last 3 days, about 1.34 Crore LPG cylinders were delivered against bookings of
around 1.32 Crore LPG cylinders.
Yesterday, about 47.51 Lakh LPG cylinders were delivered against bookings of around 45.36
lakh LPG cylinders.
Commercial LPG Supply and Allocation Measures:
Total commercial LPG allocation has been increased to about 70% of pre-crisis levels, including
10% reform-linked allocation.
During last 3 days, about 1.87 Lakh – 5 Kg FTL cylinders were sold.
Since 3rd April 2026, PSU OMCs have organised more than 14,500 awareness camps for 5 Kg
FTL Cylinders, wherein more than 2.34 Lakh - 5Kg FTL cylinders were also sold.
Yesterday, around 4919 - 5kg FTL cylinders were sold through about 348 camps.
A three-member committee of Executive Directors of IOCL, HPCL and BPCL, in consultation with
State authorities and industry bodies finalises the plan for the sale of Commercial LPG in the
States/UTs.
Since May-26, total of 1,32,341 MT of Commercial LPG has been sold.
During last 3 days, total of 23,588 MT of Commercial LPG has been sold.
During last 3 days, about 963 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.
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.Since March 2026, about 7.64 Lakh PNG connections have been gasified and infrastructure
has been created for additional 2.81 Lakh connections, taking the total to 10.45 lakh
connections. Further, about 7.99 Lakh customers have been registered for new connections.
Till 20.05.2026, more than 58,500 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 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, about 10600 MT of C3-C4 Molecules (comprising Propylene and
Butylene) and about 3940 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.
Govt. of India vide Gazette notification dated 15.05.2026 has reduced the export levy on diesel
from Rs. 23 per litre to Rs. 16.50 per litre and on ATF from Rs. 33 per litre to Rs. 16 per litre.
Further, export duty on Petrol has been imposed to Rs. 3 per litre.
There are adequate stocks of petrol and diesel available at all Petrol Pumps in the country.
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:
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 72 hours.
DG Shipping Control Room has handled 10,106 calls and more than 22,215 emails since activation.
In the last 72 hours, a total of 404 calls and 903 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 3,316 Indian seafarers so far, including 99 in the last 72 hours from
various locations across the Gulf region.Port operations across India remain normal, with no congestion reported.
***
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