Centre appoints 2 new officers to oil and gas ministry amid LPG crisis

The Centre has appointed Alok Tripathi as Joint Secretary and A Amarnath as OSD in the Petroleum Ministry as panic LPG bookings surge across states amid fears triggered by the West Asia conflict, even as the government insists there is no shortage of cooking gas.

The central government has appointed two senior officers to key positions in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas amid heightened concerns over fuel supplies triggered by the ongoing West Asia conflict.

According to official orders, Alok Tripathi, an officer of the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS), has been appointed as Joint Secretary in the ministry. A Amarnath of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) has been named Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at the Joint Secretary level.

The appointments come at a time when panic buying of LPG cylinders has been reported in several states following concerns over energy supplies linked to the conflict in West Asia.

Long queues were seen outside LPG distribution centres in several states, including Delhi-NCR, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, as consumers rushed to secure domestic gas cylinders.

The surge in demand also forced some eateries to temporarily shut operations, while reports of hoarding circulated in parts of the country.

However, the Centre has maintained that there is no shortage of cooking gas in the country. Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the petroleum ministry, said domestic LPG production had increased by about 30 per cent since March 5 to ensure uninterrupted supply.