New Delhi [India], June 1 (ANI): The prices of 19 kg commercial cylinders have been increased by Rs 42 in Delhi, bringing the price to Rs 3113.50, according to sources.

The new prices will be effective from June 1.

'Prices of 19 kg commercial cylinders have been increased by Rs 42 in Delhi, bringing the price to Rs 3113.50, and by Rs 53.50 in Kolkata, bringing the price to Rs 3255.50,' as per the sources.

Sources added that the prices of 5 kg FTL (Free Trade LPG) cylinders have been increased by Rs 11, and will cost Rs 821.50 in Delhi.

'The new prices will be effective from June 1. There is no change in domestic cylinder prices,' as per the sources.

Earlier on Friday, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said that the government is working to strengthen fuel security through strategic reserves and ensuring uninterrupted supply, even as steps continue to be taken against hoarding.

'Regarding strategic reserves, we are working on the strategic reserves also. And we have asked the oil marketing companies to work out that the LPG reserve that should be minimum 30 days with them and they are working on it. And similarly, for crude also, we are working,' Sharma said, during an inter-ministerial briefing. She also outlined the precautionary measures to safeguard against supply shocks.

She assured that there is no shortage at present.

'We have sufficient stock of petrol, diesel and LPG, natural gas and fruit inventories are tied up. All our refineries are operating at optimum level and LPG production is all time high, almost 90 DMT per day. No dry out has been reported on LPG distributorship,' Sharma said.

'But it is being seen on retail outlets that there is abnormal sale at many places. Some are due to agricultural demand and some are due to bulk sale,' she added.

More than 30% growth is being seen overall, with 14 districts reporting over 100% growth in petrol sales, while six districts saw a 38% drop in OMC sales.

Sharma said that to check diversion, enforcement has been intensified.'In the last four days, there have been 6,500 raids on LPG. Five FIRs have been registered and two people have been arrested,' Sharma said. At retail outlets, 900 raids in two days led to seizure of 417 litres of petrol and 75,715 litres of diesel, with 12 FIRs and 15 arrests.

On LPG availability, she explained that production varies with refinery optimization. 'Right now, the demand is something around 72 TMT and then we are producing 50 to 52 TMT in-house in our domestic refineries,' she said, adding that the LPG backlog has come down to 4.5 days. (ANI)