Government Takes Action Against LPG Rumors Across 21 States

New Delhi, April 4: The government announced on Saturday that 21 states and union territories are conducting regular press briefings to combat rumors related to LPG and provide accurate information to the public.

The government has instructed chief secretaries of all states and union territories to enhance proactive and regular communication with the public. They are to hold daily press briefings at senior levels and share accurate information through social and electronic media to dispel misconceptions surrounding LPG.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas stated, “Under the Essential Commodities Act of 1955 and the LPG Control Order of 2000, state governments are empowered to take action against hoarding and black marketing.”

It emphasized that states play a crucial role in monitoring and controlling the supply of essential goods like petrol, diesel, and LPG. The central government has also issued several letters and conducted video conferences to guide states in this regard.

In the meantime, continuous raids are being conducted in various states and union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG. Recently, over 3,700 raids were carried out in a single day.

The ministry reported that officials from government oil companies have been instructed to increase surprise inspections to prevent any irregularities. So far, more than 1,000 show-cause notices have been issued against LPG distributors, and 27 distributors have been suspended.

States have been advised to make daily press briefings a routine, issue advisories for the public, establish helplines and control rooms, monitor fake news on social media, and maintain strict actions through district administration.

Additionally, states are urged to issue commercial LPG allocation orders in their areas, expedite city gas distribution (CGD), promote PNG connections, and encourage the use of alternative fuels.

The ministry also noted that online bookings for LPG cylinders reached up to 95% on Friday, with approximately 5.1 million domestic LPG cylinders delivered.