Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Apr 12: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has announced a 5 per cent increase in gas allocation to fertiliser plants, taking the supply to around 95 per cent of their six-month average consumption.

In a statement, the ministry said that since March, about 4.15 lakh PNG connections have been activated, while another 4.55 lakh consumers have registered for new connections. Over 26,000 PNG users have voluntarily surrendered their LPG connections through the MYPNGD.in portal.

The government also said enforcement action is being intensified across the country to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG. More than 3,400 raids were conducted nationwide on Friday. Public sector oil marketing companies have stepped up surprise inspections, penalising 214 LPG distributorships and suspending 55 others.

Additionally, around one lakh 5-kg free trade LPG cylinders were sold across the country, significantly higher than the daily average of 77,000 recorded in February. Since March 23, over 12 lakh such cylinders have been sold, benefiting students and vulnerable sections, including migrant labourers.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of Indian vessels and seafarers operating in the West Asia region. It confirmed that all Indian seafarers in the region are safe, and no incidents involving Indian-flagged vessels have been reported in the past 24 hours.

The India-flagged LPG vessel Jag Vikram has safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz carrying approximately 20,400 metric tonnes of LPG cargo with 24 crew members onboard. The vessel is expected to reach Mumbai on April 15.