West Asia crisis briefing: No LPG shortage, fertiliser supply strong, Indian crew safe after maritime incident

Inter-Ministerial briefing on West Asia conflict
Centre holds inter-ministerial briefing on West Asia crisis (Image via PIB)

Senior officials from multiple ministries held a detailed inter-ministerial briefing in New Delhi on Monday, 27th April, to update the public on the government’s response to the ongoing crisis in West Asia. Representatives from key departments, including the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and the Department of Fertilisers, shared updates on how India is managing energy security, protecting its citizens abroad, and ensuring that essential supplies remain unaffected.

Fertiliser supplies remain strong 

The briefing was started by Aparna Sharma, Additional Secretary in the Department of Fertilisers. She reassured that fertiliser availability in the country remains stable and more than sufficient.

“On behalf of the Department of Fertilisers, I would like to apprise the gathering that fertiliser availability remains robust and supplies continue to exceed the requirement,” she said.

She emphasised that there has been no shortage so far and the system is functioning smoothly. “The Department of Fertilisers reaffirms that fertiliser security is strong, stable and well managed, with availability consistently exceeding the requirement across all major fertilisers, and no shortages have been reported so far,” Sharma added.

LPG supply stable, government urges public not to panic

Addressing concerns over fuel availability, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, assured that there is no shortage of LPG or other fuels in the country despite disruptions caused by the West Asia situation.

“As you know, due to the West Asia crisis, our energy imports have been affected. However, the Government of India has ensured that domestic LPG and PNG consumers, as well as CNG transport, are fully protected and supplies are maintained,” she said.

She added that the government has even increased the allocation of commercial LPG significantly to meet demand. “In addition, the allocation of commercial LPG has been increased by up to 70 per cent. There is still some panic buying being seen at several LPG distributorships. Through you, I would like to inform everyone that we have adequate LPG supply, and there is no dry out at any distributor,” Sharma said, urging people to avoid unnecessary panic buying.

MEA steps up monitoring and diplomatic outreach

Officials from the Ministry of External Affairs highlighted that India is closely monitoring the situation in the Gulf and West Asia region. 

Asim R. Mahajan, Additional Secretary (Gulf), said that the government has activated multiple channels to stay connected with Indians in the region. “The Ministry of External Affairs continues to closely monitor developments in the Gulf and West Asia region. Our efforts are focused on ensuring the safety and welfare of the Indian community in the region,” he said.

He further explained that a dedicated control room has been set up to handle queries and provide assistance. “A dedicated control room in the Ministry is operational to respond to queries from Indian nationals and their families. Our embassies and consulates in the region are running round-the-clock helplines to provide timely assistance,” Mahajan added.

Meanwhile, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal spoke about India’s ongoing diplomatic engagement in the region. He said that on the directions of Narendra Modi, India has increased high-level outreach to Gulf countries.

“National Security Advisor Ajit Doval paid an official visit to the UAE on 25th and 26th April. He called on the President of the UAE, where he conveyed the Prime Minister’s greetings, and both sides discussed measures to further deepen the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” Jaiswal said.

He also pointed out that this was the second high-level visit to the UAE in a month, referring to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s earlier visit. “He met his counterpart and also called on the President of the UAE, where he conveyed gratitude for ensuring the well-being of the Indian community during the conflict,” Jaiswal added.

Shipping sector on alert, Indian crew safe 

Providing updates on maritime safety, Mandeep Singh Randhawa from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways spoke about a recent incident involving a vessel with Indian crew members.

“On Saturday, 25th April, an incident involving a Togo-flagged chemical tanker, MT Siron, was reported… The vessel was intercepted by the Iranian Coast Guard, which fired warning shots. All Indian crew members are safe,” he said.

Randhawa added that the government is closely coordinating with various agencies to ensure safety in the region. “The Ministry… is in constant contact with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions, and maritime stakeholders, and remains committed to ensuring the safety of the crew and maritime operations. All Indian seafarers in the region are safe,” he said.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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