Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, May 27: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday appealed to citizens not to indulge in panic buying of petrol, diesel, or LPG, assuring that the supply of essential commodities across the country remains stable despite the evolving situation in West Asia.
His remarks came after the sixth meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM), which reviewed the availability of essential items and assessed the resilience of India’s supply chains in light of ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region.
Rajnath Singh stated that the Centre has been proactively working to ensure uninterrupted availability of critical supplies since the conflict in West Asia intensified.
“The Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been handling the situation effectively since the crisis began. The Group of Ministers expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for his foresight and strong leadership during these challenging times,” he said.
Meanwhile, the government has also introduced amendments to the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Amendment Order, 2026, aimed at offering greater flexibility to domestic LPG consumers who switch to piped natural gas (PNG) connections.
Under the revised rules, consumers who obtain PNG connections can apply for termination of their LPG connection within 30 days while retaining the option to restore the LPG connection later through a transfer voucher if they relocate to areas where PNG services are unavailable.
Officials said the amendment is designed to provide convenience and long-term flexibility to households transitioning between fuel systems.
According to government data, nearly 7.99 lakh PNG connections have become operational since March this year, while infrastructure has been developed for an additional 2.87 lakh connections, taking the total network coverage to approximately 10.86 lakh connections.
The government also highlighted that public sector oil marketing companies delivered around 1.72 crore domestic LPG cylinders over the past four days against bookings of nearly 1.66 crore cylinders, indicating stable supply and distribution mechanisms.
In addition, oil companies organised approximately 15,400 awareness camps promoting the use of small 5-kg LPG cylinders and sold over 2.45 lakh units through these initiatives since April 3.
Authorities have advised LPG consumers to use digital platforms for bookings instead of visiting distributors physically. Citizens have also been encouraged to adopt alternative cooking options such as PNG and electric or induction cooktops wherever possible.
The government further appealed to the public to conserve energy and use fuel responsibly during the current global situation.