Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 13 : Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Anjaneya Kumar Singh on Friday dismissed reports of a cooking gas crisis in Moradabad, stating that the government is maintaining constant vigilance over the situation.
Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Anjaneya Kumar Singh, while speaking to ANI, said, "Currently, there is absolutely no crisis of any kind in Moradabad. People are panicking after hearing news from outside sources, and rumours are being circulated; we have already initiated action to address this through a dedicated awareness campaign... Provided there is no hoarding or black marketing, there is no crisis whatsoever here, and we are maintaining constant vigilance over the situation... We are also monitoring social media... There is no need for anyone to panic..."
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a meeting with officials regarding the state's gas supply situation and assured that there was no shortage of diesel, petrol, and cooking gas in the state, urging people to avoid rumours.
The meeting reviewed the availability of gas cylinders and essential food items across the state.
Officials informed the Chief Minister that there was no shortage of gas in the state and that the supply system was operating smoothly.
The Chief Minister directed that the supply system be continuously monitored to ensure that the general public is not inconvenienced.
In a post on X, CM Yogi Adityanath said, "There is no shortage of diesel-petrol in Uttar Pradesh. Avoid rumours related to shortage of cooking gas."
"If any distributor agency or private individual is found involved in black marketing or hoarding, an FIR will be immediately registered against them, and the strictest action will be ensured," he said.
On Thursday, amid fears of a disruption over the shortage of LPG gas, the consumers at Gorakhpur have been lined up outside gas agencies since morning, looking to get a fresh stock of cylinders for their home cooking needs.
On the other hand, Vishwavijay Singh, State Vice President of the Congress party, while talking to ANI, said, "There is black marketing. People are being sold gases at higher rates. The UP government has been unsuccessful in giving gas to everyone."
Meanwhile, the LPG shortage has been worsened by the halt in imports through the Strait of Hormuz due to the ongoing Iran-US-Israel conflict. However, Iranian authorities have allowed Indian-flagged vessels to pass safely as maritime traffic remains largely suspended in the region.
A Liberia-flagged tanker, the Shenlong Suezmax, carrying Saudi crude, reached the Mumbai Port, becoming the first India-bound vessel to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran-US conflict began.
The vessel docked at the Mumbai Port at 1 pm on Wednesday and was berthed at Jawahar Dweep at 6:06 pm. It is carrying 1,35,335 metric tonnes of crude oil, which will be supplied to refineries in Mahul, eastern Mumbai. The crude discharge process is expected to take around 36 hours.