West Asia War: PM Cautions Impact may Persist for Long, Centre Discourage Panic Buying
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Mar 2: Even as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that the impact of the on-going conflict in the West Asia “may persist for a long time,” the Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Sujata Sharma said assured the country that the Centre has “sufficient stock of petrol and diesel.”
Speaking at an inter-ministerial briefing on Tuesday, Ms Sharma said there were sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel available and there was no need for panic buying. As far as LPG was concerned, she said the domestic production of LPG has been stepped up in refineries.
Requesting people to shift to PNG from LPG wherever feasible, Ms Sharma pointed out that more 7,500 new commercial and domestic PNG connections were provided on Monday itself. She said more than 60 Lakh household were ready where PNG connections could be provided and appealed to the people to take the PNG connections as soon as possible.
Ms Sharma said there was “some panic booking for LPG observed yesterday,” however, there was “no dry out” reported at any of the distributors. She also said more than 7,000 tonnes of commercial LPG were lifted on Monday.
Regarding the number of Indian ships en route to India, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said, “With Jag Vasant and Pine Gas having crossed the Strait of Hormuz, there are twenty ships operating in the region.” “20 Indian-flagged vessels are currently in the Western Part of the Strait of Hormuz. Of these, 5 are loaded with LPG, cumulatively, carrying 2.32 lakh metric tonnes,” Mr Sinha said
“Jag Vasant and Pine Gas have safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz. Pine Gas is carrying 45,000 metric tonnes of LPG and is expected to reach New Mangalore Port early morning on March 27,” Mr Sinha said. “The Jag Vasant is headed to the Kandla Port and is expected to reach on March 28,” he added. “Another empty ballast vessel operating in the region would be loaded with LPG in the next 3-4 days,” he said.
The government also claimed that there was adequate stock of fertilisers available in the country for the 2026 kharif season. In the civil aviation sector, about 85 flights were expected to operate from the UAE to India.
In the Rajya Sabha, Mr Modi reiterated India’s concern over the West Asia crisis as he did in the Lok Sabha on Monday calling the satiation “worrisome” and said the government remained fully vigilant and was taking all necessary measures to safeguard India’s interests.
He also said the ongoing war has disrupted India’s trade routes and briefed the House on the government’s preparedness to handle a potential energy crisis, stating that the ongoing war in the region has become a matter of global concern. He said the conflict was affecting the supply of petrol, diesel and gas worldwide. “India is in constant touch with all nations that are either involved in the war or affected by it…India has urged all sides to halt hostilities and work towards reducing tensions in the region. The war has caused a serious energy crisis in the world. For India too, this situation is concerning… The war has impacted our trade routes… With this, the routine supply of petrol, diesel, gas and fertilisers has been affected,” he added.
The Prime Minister said India has also remained in close communication with the United States. He informed the House that he has held two rounds of conversations with leaders of West Asian nations. PM Modi noted that ship movement through the Strait of Hormuz has become increasingly difficult. Calling it one of the world’s most crucial maritime routes, he stressed that India was making every effort to ensure uninterrupted supplies of oil, gas and fertilisers.
Mr Modi further pointed out that it has been more than three weeks since the conflict began in West Asia, and the war has triggered a severe energy crisis worldwide. He said the situation was worrying for India as well, with trade routes disrupted and regular supplies of petrol, diesel, gas and fertilisers affected. “About 1 crore Indians live and work in the Gulf countries… Safeguarding their life and livelihoods is a matter of great concern for India… Several ships are stuck in the Strait of Hormuz… Indian crew members are stuck on those ships in large numbers… This too is a cause of major concern for India… In such a difficult situation, it is important that India’s Upper House sends out a united voice of peace and dialogue,” PM Modi added.
The Prime Minister said that India is prioritising the safety of its citizens during the West Asia conflict, noting that over 3,75,000 Indians have been safely evacuated so far, including more than 1,000 from Iran, while urging all sides to seek a peaceful resolution. “Any threat to human life in this war is not in the interest of humanity, so India is making constant efforts to encourage all sides to reach a peaceful solution as soon as possible,” he said.
