New Delhi: Petroleum ministry officials on Monday assured a parliamentary panel that India has 78 days of crude oil stock and there is no shortage of LPG, responding to concerns raised by members over long queues at fuel stations in some parts of the country.
Parliamentary Panel Meeting on West Asia Crisis
The panel on transport, tourism, and culture, chaired by JDU MP Sanjay Jha, convened to discuss the impact of the ongoing West Asia situation on maritime trade, shipping infrastructure, and seafarer safety. Officials from the shipping, petroleum, fertiliser, and external affairs ministries attended the meeting.
Stranded Ships and Seafarers
Shipping ministry officials informed members that 37 India-bound ships are stranded in the Persian Gulf due to disruptions in vessel movement through the Strait of Hormuz. The panel was also told that approximately 18,000 Indian seafarers are in the Persian Gulf, with around 11,000 west of Hormuz, most staying due to job commitments. Officials stated that the stuck ships could be evacuated within 5-6 days once normal operations resume through the conflict-hit strait.
Insurance Premiums and Evacuation Efforts
The officials also reported that insurance premiums for cargo ships have surged—up to 100 times for containers—due to the West Asia crisis. While the shipping ministry, with the external affairs ministry's assistance, is working to evacuate Indian ships from the war zone, vessels face challenges crossing the affected area.
Jha lauded the government's crisis management efforts. "You know that India has not done this; the whole world is facing it, but the initiatives that have been taken... We also do not know how long this will continue; the government is addressing them... Things are under control at the moment," he told reporters after the meeting.
