New Delhi [India], April 22 (ANI): Approximately 94 per cent of domestic LPG cylinders were delivered through the delivery authentication code as part of a broader government effort to maintain supply chain continuity. During an inter-ministerial briefing on Wednesday, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, stated that the government took effective steps to ensure the smooth supply of LPG, PNG, petrol, and diesel despite the ongoing West Asia crisis.

She noted that the supply of domestic LPG remained normal and no dry-out was reported at any distributor.

'Around 94 per cent of cylinders are being delivered through the delivery authentication code. Yesterday, there were close to 4.5 million bookings, against which approximately 5.1 million domestic LPG cylinders were delivered. As you are aware, the supply of commercial LPG has been affected; however, the Government of India has restored it to about 70 per cent. As a result, in the month of April, around 131,000 tonnes, equivalent to approximately 6.9 million 19kg cylinders, have been sold. In addition, in a single day yesterday, 8,199 tonnes of commercial LPG were sold. Regarding 5 kg cylinders, from March 23 until now, more than 2 million cylinders have been sold,' Sharma said.

Earlier, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) implemented a comprehensive suite of regulatory measures and orders across various industrial sectors to ensure the uninterrupted supply of fuel, gas, and essential raw materials.

These initiatives ranged from customs duty waivers to expedited licensing under the Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organization (PESO).

Nidhi Kesarwani, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, during an inter-ministerial briefing on Wednesday, said, 'Under Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organization, PESO, very multiple activities and facilitated orders have been issued which are oriented towards uninterrupted supply of fuel and gas.'

The government has prioritised the expansion of gas infrastructure, processing 467 applications for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Compressed Biogas (CBG) stations since late March. The turnaround time for these applications has been reduced to less than 10 days, resulting in 157 final licenses and 38 prior approvals for new dispensing units.

To support the logistics of fuel distribution, temporary storage relaxations were granted for kerosene, while a ban on ammonium nitrate exports secured domestic availability.

'In the light of demand for kerosene, the temporary relaxations or storage relaxations have been granted for superior kerosene oil storage up to 2,500 liters. And a one-time relaxation for 5,000 liters for PDS kerosene has been given for ensuring last mile continuity. The domestic availability of ammonium nitrate has been secured by imposing a ban on exports in the month of March,' Kesarwani said.

The industrial relief extends to the manufacturing sector, where the government issued advisories to state authorities under the Boilers Act. High-capacity boilers in power plants, refineries, and fertilizer units have received three-month temporary extensions on their certificates, subject to external inspections.

Additionally, the DPIIT extended the Quality Control Order (QCO) timelines for induction cooktops to assist manufacturers in meeting energy efficiency deadlines amidst supply challenges.

Significant fiscal interventions were highlighted for the leather, footwear, and paint industries. Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on critical inputs like EVA and various polymers was reduced to zero.

In the paint sector, the allocation of industrial LPG was increased from 50 per cent to 70 per cent of pre-March consumption levels to maintain production momentum.

Kesarwani noted, 'With respect to the tire industry, the BCD on various chemicals have been relaxed, polybutadiene styrene, butadiene rubber, and resins, which is available now. For glass industry, the uninterrupted furnace operations was becoming a challenge. So thereafter, in consultation with MOPNG, the availability of PNG at 80 per cent of the average consumption of the previous six months have been insured and notified.'

In the ceramic hub of Morbi, authorities addressed pricing disparities and supply gaps for the 80 per cent of units that previously relied on propane or LPG. Long-term measures also include new guidelines for the installation of District Pressure Regulating Skids and the use of cryogenic cylinders for LNG to facilitate gas supply in remote, non-pipeline areas. (ANI)