The Union government on Monday doubled the daily allocation of 5 kg free trade liquefied petroleum gas cylinders for migrant labourers in all states and Union Territories, IANS reported.
Free Trade 5 kg LPG cylinders are designed for easy purchase without mandatory address proof and are primarily used by migrant populations in urban and semi-urban areas.
The revised allocation is based on the average daily number of cylinders supplied to migrant workers on March 2 and March 3, and goes beyond the earlier cap of 20% set in a March 21 order.
In a communication to chief secretaries, the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas said that the cylinders would be placed at the disposal of state governments and their food or civil supplies departments, and are to be distributed exclusively to migrant labourers with support from oil marketing companies.
It comes amid disruptions in energy supplies to India since the conflict in West Asia broke out on February 28. Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of global petroleum liquids supply passes, for most commercial ships.
This has affected LPG supplies in India. The country imports about 60% of its LPG demand, most of it from Gulf countries.
However, the Union government has repeatedly said that there is no shortage of LPG in the country.
Amid the disruptions, the Union government also said that beneficiaries can obtain the 5kg cylinders by presenting a valid identity card, and submitting a self-declaration stating their place of stay and that the cylinder will be used only for cooking purposes, ANI reported on Sunday.
On Monday, the Union government said that about 6.7 lakh such cylinders have been sold since March 23.
The conflict in West Asia began after Israel and the United States launched an attack on Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran’s action posed an existential threat to Israel. Washington acts as a guarantor of Israel’s security. Iran has retaliated by striking Israel and US military bases in the region and targeting major cities in Gulf countries.
Israel has been claiming that Iran is close to obtaining a nuclear weapon, which could alter the regional security balance. Tehran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes.
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