New Delhi, April 10 (NationPress) The Petroleum Ministry announced on Friday that during a recent press conference, it was mistakenly conveyed that over 4.05 lakh new LPG connections had been activated in the past five weeks. The Ministry clarified, “This number actually refers to Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections and not LPG connections. Updates on PNG connections have been provided in earlier press briefings and releases.” They expressed regret for the confusion.

Meanwhile, deliveries of domestic LPG cylinders are proceeding as usual, with no reports of shortages at LPG distribution centers, despite ongoing challenges to LPG supply due to the current geopolitical climate.

A total of 4.05 lakh PNG connections have indeed been activated, and approximately 4.41 lakh additional customers have signed up for new connections.

Consumers are encouraged to consider alternative energy sources like PNG and electric cooktops. All citizens are urged to conserve energy in light of the current circumstances.

Citizens are also advised against panic buying of petrol, diesel, and LPG, and to rely solely on official communications for information. LPG consumers are encouraged to utilize digital booking platforms to avoid unnecessary visits to distribution points.

Online bookings for LPG have surged to around 98 percent, with deliveries using the Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) system climbing to approximately 92 percent to mitigate diversion issues at distribution centers.

Despite the ongoing geopolitical challenges, the Government remains committed to ensuring a steady supply of domestic LPG and PNG, particularly for healthcare facilities and educational institutions.

Enforcement efforts are ongoing nationwide to prevent hoarding and illegal trading of LPG. Recently, over 3800 raids were conducted, resulting in the seizure of about 450 cylinders across the nation on Thursday alone.

To date, around 1.2 lakh raids have been executed, with more than 57,000 cylinders confiscated, over 950 FIRs filed, and 229 individuals arrested.

Public sector oil marketing companies have enhanced surprise inspections, issuing over 2100 show-cause notices, imposing penalties on 204 LPG distributorships, and suspending 53 distributorships.

Additionally, more than 18,000 PNG consumers have relinquished their LPG connections via the MYPNGD.in website.

States have been encouraged to facilitate new PNG connections for both residential and commercial users.

All refineries are functioning at optimal capacity with sufficient crude stockpiles. The country is also maintaining adequate supplies of petrol and diesel. The production of domestic LPG from refineries has been ramped up to support local consumption, according to a statement.