The Centre on Saturday said that the "LPG remains a matter of concern at this time" but stressed that no distribution centre has reported any dry out, adding that there's a sharp uptick in "panic booking of LPG" amid a widening West Asia conflict.
India is the world's second-largest buyer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), 90 percent of which passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit chokepoint where traffic has effectively come to a standstill.
The Centre underscored that crude oil supply is adequate, diesel and petrol are available.
"There is an excessive amount of panic booking for LPG. Please book only when you actually need it," a top Ministry official told reporters.
The official said nearly 8.8 million, or 88 lakh, panic bookings have been observed.
The decision, said the official, regarding the supply of cylinders to commercial consumers will be taken in consultation with the respective state governments.
The official said that bookings for commercial cylinders have begun in all states.
The official further said that raids are being conducted continuously to curb black marketing of cylinders, adding that the state governments have a crucial role to play in this.
Joint teams, including representatives from the oil companies, have been formed in several states.
"On March 13, Oil Marketing Companies carried out over 1,300 surprise inspections. In Uttar Pradesh, surprise inspections were conducted at 1,400 locations," the official said.
Two Indian-flagged vessels carrying LPG from the Gulf countries safely crossed the war-hit Strait of Hormuz early on Saturday morning, a senior Shipping Ministry official said.
LPG carriers Shivalik and Nanda Devi are now headed to Mundra and Kandla ports in Gujarat, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary in Ministry of Shipping, told reporters.
The vessels are carrying 92,700 tonne of LPG and are likely to dock at Indian ports on March 16/17, he said.
The two vessels were among the 24 ships that were stranded on the west side of the strait since the war broke out in the region.
The Union Petroleum Ministry on Friday said that the supply of LPG to domestic households across India remains uninterrupted, with consistent deliveries also being ensured for hospitals and educational institutions.
Earlier on Thursday, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri assured Parliament that India's energy supplies remain secure despite major global disruptions caused by the Iran conflict and subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
