By Enersider Desk | New Delhi
The Union Government has announced the measures taken across energy, maritime, and departments within foreign missions—embassies or consulates-general in response to ongoing developments in West Asia.
All refineries are operating at high capacity with adequate crude inventories, according to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The government has reduced excise duties on petrol and diesel by Rs 10 per litre to absorb the impact of rising crude prices. An export levy of Rs 21.5 per litre on diesel and Rs 29.5 per litre on aviation turbine fuel has been imposed to ensure domestic availability.
The government has extended the National PNG Drive 2.0 until June 30, 2026. In March, over 310,000 PNG connections were gasified, with an additional 270,000 new connections in progress. The City Gas Distribution (CGD) entities have also been advised by the Government to prioritize PNG connections for commercial establishments such as restaurants, hotels and canteens across all their Geographical Areas, to address concerns regarding the availability of commercial LPG.
Domestic LPG deliveries have averaged more than 50 lakh cylinders daily since March 1. Over 320,000 5-kg Free Trade LPG cylinders have been sold to migrant labourers since March 23.
State governments have been requested to conduct daily press briefings to counter rumours. Sixteen states are currently carrying out such briefings.
The Directorate General of Shipping reported that 18 Indian-flagged vessels with 485 Indian seafarers remain in the western Persian Gulf region. Safe repatriation of 959 Indian seafarers has been facilitated. Port operations across India remain normal with no congestion reported.
The Ministry of External Affairs stated that Indian missions in the region are operating round-the-clock with 24×7 helplines. Since February 28, approximately 572,000 passengers have returned to India from the region. Missions are facilitating travel through alternate routes where airspace remains closed.
