PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE /Dehradun
The supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), petrol and diesel is stable in the State, additional commissioner of food and supply PS Pangti said while addressing the media here on Tuesday. He said that on March 15, the State witnessed panic booking as in the rest of the country. However, the situation has now improved significantly.
Pangti explained that earlier around 70,000 to one lakh LPG cylinders were being booked in a single day due to panic among people. Now, according to Monday’s data, the number of bookings has reduced to around 40,000 per day. This shows that public concern is decreasing and the supply system is returning to normal. He also said that the government is ensuring full LPG supply to hospitals and educational institutions so that their work is not affected. However, there is still some issue with commercial LPG cylinders. The Central Government has allocated about 70 per cent of commercial cylinders to the State, out of which around 66 per cent has already been distributed under the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
Pangti further informed that the Centre has issued guidelines to increase the use of Piped Natural Gas (PNG). In Uttarakhand, five companies are working on PNG supply, including GAIL Gas, Haridwar Natural Gas, Adani Gas Limited, HPCL, and Gasonate Company. At present, around 37,000 PNG connections are active in the State, and these companies are continuously working to expand the pipeline network.
Regarding the Char Dham Yatra, he said that the State has requested the Central Government for five per cent more LPG cylinders than the 2025 requirement. This step has been taken to ensure that there is no shortage of gas during the Yatra.
