NEW DELHI: Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said that India continues to provide fuel to citizens at one of the lowest prices in the world, despite geopolitical challenges and disruptions in global energy supply chains.
Puri made the remarks on Saturday after meeting LPG distributors at his residence, where he heard their suggestions and concerns.
Describing distributors and their teams as an important part of the country’s energy distribution network, the minister said they remain the first point of contact for millions of households and help ensure that kitchens continue to run.
“These dedicated professionals and their hard-working teams form the backbone of India’s vast energy distribution network. For millions of households, they are the first point of contact with the energy sector, ensuring that every kitchen keeps running,” Puri said in a post on X.
He also praised their willingness to embrace change and said they had been valuable partners in India’s energy transformation.
LPG Connections Rise to Over 32 Crore
Puri said India’s LPG network had expanded significantly under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“LPG connections have grown from around 13 crore in 2014 to over 32 crore today, including more than 10 crore Ujjwala connections,” he said.
The minister added that the government had prioritised protecting domestic cooking gas supplies despite geopolitical challenges and disruptions to global supply chains.
“Domestic supplies have remained fully protected even as countries around the world experienced energy emergencies and price shocks,” Puri said.
Petrol, Diesel and LPG Price Hikes Limited, Says Puri
In a separate post on X, Puri said that a much sharper increase in fuel prices could have placed a heavy burden on farmers, the transport sector and ordinary consumers.
He said diesel prices could have increased by Rs 54 per litre, while petrol could have become Rs 19 per litre more expensive. Similarly, the price of a domestic LPG cylinder could have risen by Rs 495.
“If LPG had become Rs 495 more expensive per household cylinder, how would millions of families have managed their kitchen budgets? If petrol had become Rs 19 per litre more expensive, what a huge burden it would have placed on the common person’s pocket!” he said.
Puri added that the government and oil companies had taken steps to prevent the full impact of rising global energy prices from being passed on to consumers.
According to the minister, diesel prices increased by only Rs 7 per litre instead of Rs 54, petrol by Rs 7 instead of Rs 19, and LPG by Rs 89 per cylinder instead of Rs 495. He also said LNG prices had increased by Rs 10 instead of Rs 25.
“Standing firmly with the people in difficult global circumstances is the true hallmark of leadership,” Puri said.