New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) The supply of domestic LPG is normal, with online bookings for cooking gas rising to 99 per cent on Sunday and no dry-outs reported at retail distributorships despite the disruptions due to the West Asia crisis, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said on Monday.

Domestic LPG deliveries based on the authentication code sent to the registered mobile number of the consumer have increased to around 94 per cent to prevent diversion at the distributor level.

More than 23.58 lakh small 5 kg LPG cylinders used by migrant labourers have also been sold from April 1 to date.

About 6.12 lakh PNG connections have been gasified and infrastructure created for an additional 2.67 lakh connections, along with about 6.79 lakh customers registered for new connections since March this year, a ministry statement said.

Retail prices for petrol and diesel remain unchanged despite the global spike in oil prices, and adequate stocks of the two fuels are available at all petrol pumps of public sector oil companies, including Indian Oil, BPCL, and HPCL across the country, it said.

Enforcement actions continue across the country to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG. More than 1,570 raids were conducted across the country on Sunday.

The public sector oil companies have strengthened and continued surprise inspections and imposed penalties on 349 LPG distributorships, and 74 LPG distributorships have been suspended till Sunday.

Over 43,760 PNG consumers have surrendered their LPG connections via MYPNGD.in website till Thursday, which will help to ease some pressure on LPG demand.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas further stated that it is taking steps to ensure the uninterrupted availability of petroleum products and LPG across the country, despite the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Citizens are advised to avoid panic purchases of petrol, diesel, and LPG and to beware of rumours and rely on official sources for correct information. LPG consumers are requested to use digital booking platforms and avoid visiting distributors.

All refineries are operating at high capacity with adequate crude inventories, while sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel are being maintained. Local LPG production from refineries has been increased to support domestic consumption, the statement added.

--IANS

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