New Delhi [India], April 29 (ANI): Auto LPG sales in the country recorded a surge of nearly 100 per cent in April compared to the start of the year, even as the government maintained steady domestic supplies despite the ongoing geopolitical crisis in West Asia.

Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery) in the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, while addressing an inter-ministerial briefing on Wednesday, noted that the daily average sale of auto LPG rose to approximately 353 tonnes in April, a sharp climb from the average of 177 tonnes per day recorded during January and February.

'In the month of April, there is a sale of approximately 353 tonnes per day. And in the months of January and February, the sale of auto LPG was on an average of 177 tonnes per day. So you can see that there is almost a 100% increase in this,' Sharma stated.

The Joint Secretary addressed the impact of external factors on the energy market, confirming that while the West Asia crisis created challenges for imports, the domestic front remained stable.

She clarified that no dry-outs were reported among LPG distributors and emphasized that both online bookings and deliveries based on Delivery Authentication Codes (DAC) reached all-time highs.

'Due to the on-going West Asia crisis, LPG imports are affected, but our domestic LPG supply is continued without any disruption. There is domestic supply. There is no dry-out reported on LPG distributors,' she said.

Regarding the commercial sector, Sharma explained that while supply faced some initial effects, recovery was well underway with 70 per cent of the supply restored. During the last 28 days of April, more than 1,84,000 tonnes of commercial LPG were sold, with daily sales hitting 8,838 tonnes yesterday.

'In the month of February, the sale of 5 kg cylinders was on an average of 21 lakh, and in the month of April, the sale of 5 kg cylinders was on an average of 21.05 lakh. Yesterday, the sale of 5 kg cylinders was on an average of 73,000. Till now, about 9,550 awareness camps have been held by PSU oil marketing companies, in which 1.5 lakh 5 kg cylinders have been sold. Yesterday, about 175 awareness camps were held, in which more than 2,700 5 kg cylinders have been sold,' she said.

In the natural gas segment, 5.69 lakh domestic Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections were gasified. Sharma reported that infrastructure was developed for an additional 2.65 lakh connections, while 6.37 lakh new consumers registered for the service. Consequently, about 42,950 PNG consumers surrendered their existing LPG connections.

The briefing also covered refinery operations and market enforcement. Refineries in Mumbai, Kochi, Vizag, Chennai, Mathura, and Gujarat operated at maximum capacity, selling approximately 8,900 tons of propylene and 950 tons of butyl acrylate. Retail outlets maintained normal operations with sufficient stock and crude inventories.

On the enforcement side, officials conducted about 2,200 raids and inspections yesterday. PSU distributors received 54 show-cause notices, and penalties were imposed on nine entities to ensure market discipline.

'The government is making every possible effort to ensure the availability and smooth deliveries. So please do not believe the rumours. And use LPG, petrol and diesel as required,' Sharma urged the public. (ANI)