NEW DELHI: Petroleum Ministry officials told a parliamentary committee on Monday that there are 78 days of crude oil stocks and asserted that there is no shortage of LPG, in response to questions from several members about “long queues” at filling stations in some parts of the country.The Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture headed by JDU MP Sanjay Jha held the meeting to discuss the impact of the situation in West Asia on maritime trade, shipping infrastructure and seafarers’ safety. It was attended by officials from the Ministry of Shipping, Petroleum, Fertilizers and Foreign Affairs.Shipping Ministry officials informed members that 37 India-bound ships were stranded in the Arabian Gulf due to disruptions in ship movement through the Strait of Hormuz.Sources familiar with the discussion said the committee was also informed that there are about 18,000 Indian sailors in the Persian Gulf, including about 11,000 in West Hormuz, most of whom are staying there due to job commitments. Officials said the stuck ships could be evacuated within 5 to 6 days once the operation of ships through the conflict-hit strait becomes normal.It was also learned that officials told the committee that insurance premiums on cargo ships had risen – by up to 100 times in the case of containers – in light of the West Asia crisis.
They also said that while the Ministry of Shipping, with the help of the Ministry of External Affairs, is trying to get Indian ships out of the war zone in West Asia, ships are facing problems in crossing the affected area.Jha praised the government’s efforts in dealing with the crisis. “You know India has not done it; the whole world is facing this, but the initiatives that have been taken…we also don’t know how long this will last; the government is handling it…things are under control at the moment,” he told reporters after the meeting.