Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said in the Lok Sabha on Thursday that there is “no shortage of petrol, diesel, kerosene, ATF or fuel oil” in the country. Amid reports of LPG shortage, the oil minister also listed measures taken by the government to ensure LPG production and availability.
Hardeep Singh Puri said this while issuing a detailed response on Thursday to questions on the disruption to global energy supply in the wake of the ongoing conflict in West Asia between Iran, Israel and the US.
Singh, however, noted that, like many countries, India has to navigate through” the consequences of the conflict. Here are top quotes from Hardeep Singh Puri’s speech in Lok Sabha:
On LPG demand and supply
1. Singh said, “…In the last five days, LPG production has been increased by 28 percent through refinery directives, and further procurement is actively underway.”
2. He said domestic supply is fully protected and the delivery cycle is unchanged. “The standard time from booking to delivery for domestic LPG cylinders remains 2.5 days, unchanged from pre-crisis norms,” ​​the minister said.
3. He added that hospitals and educational institutions have been placed on uninterrupted priority supply; their access to LPG is fully assured regardless of broader demand conditions.
4. A 25-day minimum booking gap has been introduced as a demand management measure in urban areas and 45 days in rural and durgam kshetra areas, Singh said.
5. Singh said “Delivery Authentication Code” coverage is being expanded from 50 percent to 90 percent of consumers; Under this system, a cylinder can only be logged as delivered when the consumer confirms receipt through a one-time code on their registered mobile, making undocumented diversion effectively impossible to conceal.
6. Singh also noted “field reports” that indicate hoarding and panic-booking at the distributor and retail level, “driven by consumer anxiety rather than any actual supply shortage.” He said the House should be clear on this: “the rush-booking pressure in some localities reflects a demand distortion, not a production or supply failure.”
7. Hardeep Singh Puri also informed the House that of LPG with cargoes being secured from the United States, Norway, Canada, Algeria, and Russia, in addition to available Gulf sources.
8. “It should be noted that India was previously importing approximately 60 per cent of its LPG requirements from Gulf countries such as Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait and 40 per cent is produced domestically,” Sigh said.
On commercial LPG
1. “In a major decision, 20% of the average monthly Commercial LPG requirement will be allocated from today by OMCs, in coordination with the State Governments so that there is no hoarding or black marketing,” Singh said.
2. Singh said commercial LPG has been regulated to prevent black marketing. “Commercial LPG is sold in a completely deregulated, over-the-counter market at market price, without any government subsidy.”
“There is no registration system, no booking requirement, no digital authentication, and no delivery confirmation mechanism. Any business or individual can purchase cylinders in any quantity at the point of sale, with no government control in normal times,” he added.
3. He noted that had commercial supply been left entirely unrestricted, cylinders purchased over the counter could have been diverted to the gray market at the expense of genuine commercial consumers and domestic households alike.
4. “The government has therefore taken the responsible course: to regulate this channel with clear priorities and a transparent allocation mechanism,” he said.
“A three-member committee comprising Executive Directors from IOCL, HPCL, and BPCL was constituted on 9 March 2026. Extensive meetings have been held with state civil supply departments and restaurant associations across the country and are continuing,” he said.
On alternative fuel options
1. Alternate fuel options are being activated to ease pressure on LPG and gas channels, Singh said, adding that Kerosene is being made available through retail outlets and PDS channels, and fuel oil is being made available for industrial and commercial consumers.
2. “The MoEFCC has advised State Pollution Control Boards to permit, for the duration of this crisis period, the use of biomass, RDF pellets, and Kerosene/coal as alternate fuels for the hospitality and restaurant segment for 1 month, which would enable a wider range of establishments to switch and free up LPG for priority consumers,” Singh said.
On LPG prices
Oil minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that despite the Saudi Contract Price rising 41 percent between July 2023 and March 2026, the PMUY beneficiary price has fallen 32 percent in the same period and stands at ₹Rs.613 per 14.2 kg cylinder in Delhi.
He said in the Lok Sabha that the non-subsidised consumer price stands at ₹913 following the recent ₹60 adjustment, against a market-determined price of approximately ₹987.
Of the ₹134 per cylinder adjustment required by prevailing global market conditions, the government absorbed ₹74, he added.
“The effective additional cost for a PMUY household is under 80 paise per day,” Singh said.
He mentioned that equivalent LPG prices in the neighborhood stand at ” ₹1,046 in Pakistan, ₹1,242 in Sri Lanka, and ₹1,208 in Nepal.”
On PNG, CNG — natural gas
Singh said domestic piped gas to homes and CNG for vehicles receive 100 percent supply with no cuts.
He informed that industrial and manufacturing consumers will receive upto 80 percent of their previous six-month average.
“Fertiliser plants will receive upto 70 per cent, protecting the agricultural input chain ahead of the sowing season,” he said.
“Refineries and petrochemical units absorb a managed reduction, with that gas redirected to higher-priority sectors,” Singh added.
He told the Lok Sabha that large LNG cargoes are arriving on an almost daily basis through alternative supply routes, and India has sufficient gas production and supply arrangements to sustain this position even in the event of a prolonged conflict.
“Power generation for every household and for industry is fully protected,” he said.
On crude, petrol, diesel
Hardeep Singh Puri assured that India’s crude supply position is secure, and claimed that “volumes secured exceed what Hormuz would have delivered.”
He said, “There is no shortage of petrol, diesel, kerosene, ATF or fuel oil. The availability of petrol, diesel, aviation turbine fuel, kerosene, and fuel oil is fully assured. Retail outlets across the country are stocked and supply chains for these products are functioning normally. Additional allocation of PDS Kerosene has been issued to all the States.”
He also informed that refineries are operating at high capacity utilization; in several cases, they are exceeding 100 percent.
Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “outstanding diplomatic outreach and goodwill” that made India secure crude volumes “that exceed what the disrupted Strait route would have delivered in the same period.”
On rumor-mongering or fake narratives
Hardeep Singh Puri said in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, “This is not the moment for rumour-mongering or fake narratives. India is navigating the most severe global energy disruption in recorded history.”
“Crude supply is flowing. Gas is prioritized for homes and farms. LPG production has been stepped up by 28 percent. Consumer prices are held far below what markets and regional comparators would dictate. Schools are open. Petrol is on the forecourt. Every citizen, regardless of political affiliation, has a stake in that,” Singh said.
“India must stand united behind its energy warriors, behind the institutions managing this crisis, and behind the national interest. The record of preparation and the record of response speak for themselves,” he said.
