00:08Honorable Speaker Sir, I rise to inform the House of steps taken in response to the disruption
00:28of the global energy supplies arising from the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
00:35The world has not faced a moment like this in modern energy history.
00:40Today is the 13th day since the passage to the state of Hormuz, through which 20% of the
00:47world's crude, 20% of the world's natural gas, and 20% of the world's LPG flows was
00:54disrupted following the military operations between Iran, Israel and the U.S.
00:59For the first time in recorded history, the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed
01:06to commercial shipping.
01:07Despite India having no role in causing the conflict, like many countries, India has to
01:14navigate through its consequences.
01:16The contrast with how other nations are managing this crisis places India's response in its
01:24sharpest relief.
01:25A country in a neighborhood has shut all schools for two weeks, moved government offices to
01:35four-day workweek, ordered 50% of public employees to work from home, cut fuel allowances for official
01:42vehicles by half and taken 60% of government vehicles off the road.
01:47This country has experienced the largest single fuel price increase in its history, with petrol up approximately 20% in
01:56a week.
01:57In another neighbor has closed universities early and brought forward the Eid al-Fitr holiday to save fuel.
02:05Countries in Southeast Asia have also had to take energy rationing and conservation measures.
02:11Honorable Speaker Sir, India's crude supply position is secure and volume secured exceed what the Hormuz
02:20would have delivered.
02:21Before the crisis, approximately 45% of India's crude imports transited to the Hormuz route.
02:29Thanks to the Honorable Prime Minister's outstanding diplomatic outreach and goodwill, India has secured crude volumes
02:38that exceed what the disrupted state of Hormuz could have delivered in the same period.
02:45Non-Hormuz sourcing has risen to approximately 70% of crude imports, up from 55% before the conflict began.
02:53India's sources crude from 40 countries as against 27 in 2006 and 2007.
03:01This structural diversification built through sustained policy over successive years has given us options that other nations find themselves without.
03:12Refineries are operating at high capacity utilization. In several cases, they are exceeding 100%.
03:18There is no shortage of petrol, diesel, kerosene, ATF or fuel oil.
03:25The availability of petrol, diesel, aviation, turbine fuel, kerosene and fuel oil is fully assured.
03:34Retail outlets across the country are stocked and supply chains for these products are functioning normally.
03:40Additional allocation of PDS kerosene has been issued to all the states.
03:51Honorable Speaker Sir, Natural gas supply has been managed through prioritized allocation and the position is stable, well beyond immediate
04:02need.
04:03India produces approximately 90 million metric standard cubic meters per day of natural gas domestically.
04:11A further 30 million metric standard cubic meters per day was previously imported through Gulf sources,
04:19now affected by the force majeure declaration of a major Qatari processing facility.
04:25The natural gas control order issued on 9th March 2026 under the Essential Commodities Act established an immediate priority sequence.
04:39Domestic pipe gas goes to homes and CNG for vehicles, receives 100% supply with no cuts.
04:46industrial and manufacturing consumers will receive 80% of their previous six months average.
04:54Fertilizer plants will receive up to 70% protecting the agricultural input chain ahead of the sowing season.
05:02Refineries and petrochemical units absorb a managed reduction with the house that the shortfall has been substantially up for through
05:10alternative procurement.
05:12Large LNG cargoes are arriving on an almost daily basis through alternative supply routes and India has sufficient gas production
05:22and supply arrangements to sustain this position even in the event of a prolonged conflict.
05:29Power generation for every household and for industry is fully protected.
05:35Honorable Speaker Sir, it should be noted that India was previously importing approximately 60% of the LPG requirements from
05:44Gulf countries such as Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and 40% is produced domestically.
05:53Procurement has now been actively diversified with cargoes being secured from the United States, Norway, Canada, Algeria and Russia.
06:02In addition to Gulf sources, the LPG control order issued on 8th March 2026 directed all refineries to maximize LPG
06:14yields and channel the entire output of C3 and C4 hydrocarbon streams comprising propane, butane, propylene and butene exclusively to
06:24the three oil marketing companies for domestic cooking gas.
06:27Hence, hence in the last five days, LPG production has been increased by 28% through refinery directives and further
06:36procurement is under way.
06:38Modi government's foremost priority is that the kitchen of India's 33 crore families, especially the poor and the underprivileged do
06:48not face any shortage.
06:50Domestic supply is fully protected and the delivery cycle is unchanged.
06:56The standard time for booking to delivery for domestic LPG cylinders remains 2.5 days unchanged from pre-crisis norm.
07:05Hospitals and educational institutions have been placed on uninterrupted priority supply and their access to LPG is fully assured regardless
07:18of broader demand conditions.
07:21Field reports indicate boarding and panic booking at the distributor and retail level driven by consumer anxiety rather than any
07:31actual supply shortage.
07:33The house should be clear on this. The rush booking pressure in some localities reflects a demand distortion, not a
07:41production or supply failure.
07:43Delivery authentication code coverage is being expanded from 50% to 90% of consumers under this system.
07:50A cylinder can only be logged as delivered when the consumer confirms receipt through a one-time code on their
07:58registered mobile,
07:59making undocumented diversion effectively impossible to conceal.
08:04A 25-day minimum booking period has been introduced as a demand management measure in urban areas and 45 days
08:13in rural and Durgam-Shetra areas.
08:16OMC field officers and the anti-adulteration cell are coordinating enforcement at the distributor level.
08:25The home secretary has shared a meeting with chief secretaries of all states to align state level administration with the
08:32central supply and information framework.
08:39The commercial LPG has been regulated to prevent black marketing not to penalize the hospitality sector.
08:47Commercial LPG is sold in a completely deregulated over-the-counter market at market price without any government subsidy.
08:58There is no registration system, no booking requirement, no digital authentication and no delivery confirmation mechanism.
09:07Any business or individual can purchase cylinders in any quantity at the point of sale with no government control in
09:16normal time.
09:17In a supply-constrained environment where public anxiety is elevated, this deregulated structure creates a direct and uncontrolled pathway for
09:28hoarding, diversion and resale at inflated prices.
09:32Head commercial supply has been diverted to the grey market at the expense of genuine commercial consumers and domestic households
09:41alike.
09:42The government has therefore taken the responsible course to regulate this channel with clear priorities and a transparent allocation mechanism.
09:51A three-member committee comprising executive directors from IOCL, HBCL and BPCL was constituted on 9th March 2026.
10:02Extensive meetings have been held and state civil supply departments and restaurants associations across the country and are continuing.
10:11The committee has assessed genuine need by geography and sector to ensure available commercial volumes reach commercial LPG requirement is
10:22going to be supplied from today by OMCs in coordination with the state government so that there is no hoarding
10:29or black marketing.
10:30Honourable speaker sir, alternate fuel options are being activated to ease pressure on LPG and gas channels.
10:39Kerosene is being made available through retail outlets and PDS channels and fuel oil is being made available for industrial
10:46and commercial consumers.
10:48The Ministry of Environment has advised state pollution control boards to permit for the duration of this crisis period the
10:57use of biomass, RDF pellets and kerosene coal as alternate fuels for the hospitality and restaurant segment for one month
11:05which would enable…
11:25Wider range of establishments to switch and free LPG for priority consumers.
11:30Consumer prices have been shielded from global market conditions.
11:35Despite the Saudi contract price rising 41% between July 23 and March 26, the PMUI beneficiary price has fallen
11:4432 cents in the same period per percent and stand at Rs.613 per 14.2 kg cylinder in Delhi.
11:53The non-subsidized consumer price stands at Rs.913 following the recent Rs.60 adjustment against a market-determined price
12:02of approximately Rs.987.
12:05Of the Rs.134 per cylinder adjustment required by prevailing global market conditions, the government absorbed Rs.74.
12:13The effective additional cost for a PMUI household is under 80 paisa per day.
12:19Equivalent LPG prices in the neighbourhood stand at Rs.140,046 in Pakistan, Rs.1,242 in Sri Lanka and
12:29Rs.1,208 in Nepal.
12:31OMC compensation of Rs.30,000 crores has been approved against losses of approximately Rs.40,000 crores in 24
12:39-25.
12:48On 11 March 26, senior OMC officials met with state government administrations across every major state.
12:56Maha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Goa, Odisha, West Bengal, Pihar, Dharakand, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttar
13:13Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Karnatak, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
13:19Chief Secretaries and senior officials have been briefed on the supply position, the priority sequence and the enforcement framework.
13:28District-level monitoring committees are being established.
13:32Anti-diversion raids have been conducted and cases registered in multiple states.
13:37This is cooperative federalism, responding to a national challenge with the coordination it demands.
13:44Honorable Speaker Sahab, this is not a moment for rumour-mongering or fake narratives.
13:50India is navigating the most severe global energy disruption in recorded history.
13:56Crude supply is flowing, gas is prioritised for homes and farms.
14:00LPG production has been stepped up by 28%.
14:04Consumer prices are held far below what makes markets and regional competitors dictate.
14:12Schools are open, petrol is on the forecourt, every citizen regardless of political affiliation has a stake in that.
14:20India must stand united behind the energy warriors, behind the institution managing the crisis and behind the national interest.
14:29The record of preparation and the record of response speak for themselves.
14:33I thank you sir.
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