The Maharashtra government has stated that control rooms have been set up at the state, divisional, district and taluka levels to monitor the smooth supply of LPG, reported the PTI.
It said that there is no shortage of domestic LPG in the state despite concerns arising from the ongoing crisis in West Asia.
In an official statement issued on Thursday, authorities said measures have been taken to ensure uninterrupted supply of cooking gas to consumers.
According to the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department, control rooms have been set up at the state, divisional, district and taluka levels to monitor the gas supply.
Additional Chief Secretary Anil Diggikar has directed officials to closely track LPG distribution and take necessary steps to maintain smooth supply across the state, according to the PTI.
District-level committees will also be formed under the supervision of district collectors.
Role of district-level committees
The committees will include Superintendent of Police, District Supply Officer and officials from government oil companies.
Their main responsibilities will be monitoring the LPG supply chain, maintaining law and order, and submitting daily reports on the situation.
In the Mumbai-Thane rationing area, a separate committee will function under the Controller of Rationing, with police and rationing officials as members.
Priority Supply for Essential Services
The government said essential services will receive priority supply of LPG cylinders.
These include hospitals, government hostels, school and college mess facilities, mid-day meal scheme and ashram schools.
Officials have also been asked to explore the use of alternative fuels such as coal or kerosene where necessary, while following guidelines issued by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.
Measures to prevent rumours
According to the PTI, the officials said that the daily updates will be shared through radio, FM channels, television and newspapers to prevent the spread of rumours about LPG shortages.
Strict action will be taken against those circulating false or misleading information on social media.
Oil companies have also been instructed to resolve technical issues related to gas booking applications and missed-call services.
A WhatsApp facility will also be introduced to allow citizens to report grievances.
Fuel production increased
Officials said the state’s average daily LPG demand is around 9,000 metric tonnes, while refinery production has been increased to about 11,000 metric tonnes per day over the last two days, as per the PTI.
They added that there is adequate stock of Piped Natural Gas for domestic use. Petrol and diesel reserves are also sufficient, with refineries operating at full capacity.
Currently, refineries are producing approximately –
– 15,000 kilolitres of petrol per day
– 38,000 kilolitres of diesel per day
Citizens Urged Not to Panic
The government has appealed to residents not to panic about fuel availability, assuring that adequate arrangements have been made to meet demand across the state, the news agency reported.
Officials said monitoring will continue until the situation stabilises.
