New Delhi, April 24 : The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said on Friday that more than 81,000 small 5 kg LPG cylinders were sold across the country, bringing the total to 17.83 lakh during April.â??

â??So far, the supply of domestic LPG continues to be normal, with no dry-outs being reported at retail distributorships,â?? the ministry informed.â??

The 5 kg LPG cylinders are used by migrant workers in urban areas for cooking.â??

Besides, 5.27 lakh PNG connections have been gasified, and infrastructure has been created for an additional 2.60 lakh connections, taking the total to 7.87 lakh connections.

About 5.97 lakh customers have also been registered for new connections. More than 42,000 PNG consumers have also surrendered their LPG connections via the MYPNGD.in website, the statement said.â??

Meanwhile, online domestic LPG cylinder bookings have increased to 98 per cent, while authentication code-based deliveries to the registered mobile number of the consumer have increased to around 94 per cent to prevent diversion at the distributor level.â??

The supply of cooking gas to domestic households has been prioritised, even as overall LPG supply remains affected by the prevailing geopolitical situation.â??

Over 8,483 metric tonnes (MT) of commercial LPG (equivalent to more than 4.46 lakh 19 kg LPG cylinders) was sold on Wednesday, taking the total sold this month to 1,40,362 MT (equivalent to more than 73.87 lakh 19 kg LPG cylinders).â??

Meanwhile, enforcement actions continue across the country to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG. Cumulatively, to date, more than 1.5 lakh raids have been conducted, and more than 66,000 cylinders have been seized across the country.

Further, more than 1,100 First Information Reports have been registered, and 255 persons have been arrested.â??

Public sector oil companies have strengthened and continued surprise inspections, imposed penalties on 298 LPG distributorships, and suspended 70 LPG distributorships so far.â??

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas further stated that it is taking steps to ensure the uninterrupted availability of petroleum products and LPG across the country, in the context of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.â??

Citizens are advised to avoid panic purchase of petrol, diesel and LPG, and to beware of rumours, relying on official sources for correct information. LPG consumers are requested to use digital booking platforms and avoid visiting distributors.â??

All refineries are operating at high capacity with adequate crude inventories, while sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel are being maintained. Local LPG production from refineries has been increased to support domestic consumption, the statement added.â??

/IANS