New Delhi, Apr 8 (NVI): The Centre on Wednesday reviewed India’s preparedness in view of the evolving situation in West Asia, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chairing a high-level meeting of an Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM).
The meeting, held in the national capital, was attended by several senior ministers including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, among others.
During the meeting, Singh directed all departments to remain focused on preparedness, coordination and resilience to deal with any eventuality arising from the crisis.
In a statement, he said the government is ensuring uninterrupted availability of LPG, petrol, diesel, fertilisers and essential commodities across the country, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Officials informed the ministers that India has facilitated the evacuation of the highest number of vessels among countries transiting the Strait of Hormuz over the past 40 days. Eight LPG vessels carrying around 340 thousand metric tonnes—equivalent to about 11 days of India’s import requirement—have successfully transited the route.
The government also said there have been no reports of LPG shortages at distributorships, and domestic supply continues uninterrupted. To support vulnerable sections, the supply of 5-kg LPG cylinders has been increased beyond the earlier allocation.
To ensure industrial continuity, the government has allocated 70 per cent of LPG supplies to non-domestic bulk consumers, prioritising key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, food processing, agriculture and steel.
The meeting also noted a push towards Piped Natural Gas (PNG), with over 3.16 lakh new connections added recently, alongside voluntary surrender of more than 16,700 LPG connections.
On food security, officials said buffer stocks of wheat and rice remain adequate to meet both public distribution system (PDS) and emergency requirements. The government is also prepared to intervene in the market through the Open Market Sale Scheme to stabilise prices if needed.
The ministers were informed that edible oil supplies remain stable despite global uncertainties, supported by steady imports and improved domestic mustard production. Sugar stocks are also sufficient, with stable retail prices reported.
Officials said prices of essential commodities are being monitored daily across the country and no major volatility has been observed so far, except for a moderate rise in edible oil prices.
The government reiterated that it will continue to closely monitor the situation and take necessary steps to safeguard supply chains and economic stability.(NVI)
