New Delhi: The Congress on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over India’s increasing dependence on crude oil, LPG and natural gas imports.
“The gas grandly promised by Mr Modi has remained that — gas,” Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said on X, pointing to India’s dependence on natural gas imports.
“Between 2014-15 and 2024-25, India’s dependence on crude oil imports went up from 84% to 90%. Between 2014-15 and 2024-25, India’s dependence on LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) imports went up from 46% to 62%,” Ramesh said, adding that “all this when the mantra was supposed to be Atmanirbharta, or self-reliance.”
The natural gas story is murkier, he claimed.
“On June 26, 2005, the then CM of Gujarat (Modi) boasted that the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation had discovered India’s biggest gas reserve in the deep waters of the Krishna-Godavari river basin. Mr Modi announced that this would make India energy independent,” Ramesh said.
He claimed that five CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) reports between 2011 and 2016 were to reveal later that this was a “Rs 20,000 crore scam, which was subsequently covered by the prime minister, forcing Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation’s merger into Oil and Natural Gas Corporation in August 2017”.
Panic buying, long queues at petrol pumps, LPG distributors
The Congress leader’s remarks come amid reports of panic buying and long queues at petrol pumps and LPG distributors. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, for the first time since the war in West Asia broke out, released stock details of crude oil, fuel and LPG as it rushed to calm nerves.
India has about 60 days of oil stock cover and has arranged one full month of LPG supply, the government said on Thursday, adding that there is no shortage of petrol, diesel or LPG, calling reports of shortages a “deliberate misinformation campaign” aimed at triggering panic buying.
The state-owned oil marketing companies also said there is no shortage of petrol, diesel or LPG and supplies remain stable.
Petrol pumps adequately stocked: Centre
In a statement, the petroleum ministry said that all petrol pumps across the country are adequately stocked and operating normally, with no rationing of petrol or diesel.
The opposition has been staging protests in the Parliament House complex over the reported LPG supply crunch.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Friday interact with the chief ministers of all states, barring those that are going to polls, and review their preparedness and plans in the wake of the West Asia conflict.
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