New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to review the situation in the crude oil, gas, petroleum, power, and fertiliser sectors. This comes amid the evolving conflict in West Asia, which has affected global energy supplies.
The meeting focused on ensuring uninterrupted supply, stable logistics, and efficient distribution of essential commodities across the country. Discussions covered the impact of the conflict on agriculture, fertilisers, food security, petroleum, power, MSMEs, exporters, shipping, trade, finance, supply chains, and other affected sectors.
Special attention was given to the impact on farmers and their needs for fertilisers during the upcoming Kharif season. The government noted that measures taken in the last few years to maintain adequate stocks of fertilisers will ensure timely availability and support food security. Alternate sources of fertilisers were also discussed to guarantee continued supply in the future.
The high-level meeting was attended by key Union Ministers, including Rajnath Singh (Defence), Amit Shah (Home), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Agriculture), S Jaishankar (External Affairs), Nirmala Sitharaman (Finance), J P Nadda (Health), Piyush Goyal (Commerce and Industry), and Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways).
Other ministers present included Sarbananda Sonowal (Ports and Shipping), Manohar Lal Khattar (Power), Pralhad Joshi (Food and Consumer Affairs), Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu (Civil Aviation), and Hardeep Singh Puri (Petroleum). National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, along with Principal Secretaries P K Mishra and Shaktikanta Das, also joined the discussions.
During the meeting, PM Modi said, “The conflict is an evolving situation and the entire world is affected in some form. In such a situation, all efforts must be made to safeguard the citizens from the impact of this conflict.”
He instructed, “All arms of government should work together to ensure least inconvenience to the citizens.” He also asked for proper coordination with state governments to prevent black-marketing and hoarding of important commodities.
The West Asia conflict began on February 28, when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. Iran retaliated by targeting Israel and several Gulf neighbours. Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route through which 20% of the world’s energy is transported. Since the conflict started, very few ships have been allowed to cross it, leading to severe disruptions in energy supply to many countries, including India.
In recent weeks, PM Modi has spoken with leaders from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, France, Malaysia, Israel, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday.
Modi said in a post on X “Spoke with President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian and conveyed Eid and Nowruz greetings. We expressed hope that this festive season brings peace, stability and prosperity to West Asia.”
“I condemned attacks on critical infrastructure in the region, which threaten regional stability and disrupt global supply chains and reiterated the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation and ensuring that shipping lanes remain open and secure,” Modi added.
“I appreciated Iran’s continued support for the safety and security of Indian nationals in Iran,” He further said.
The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas issued a press release saying the government is making all efforts to ensure availability and timely delivery of LPG cylinders to all households. Citizens are advised to rely only on official sources and avoid rumours.
Fuel prices saw some changes. The price of regular petrol and diesel remained unchanged. However, the price of premium 95-octane petrol was hiked by Rs 2 per litre in Delhi to Rs 101.89 per litre, with similar adjustments in other parts of the country. The price of industrial diesel went up by around Rs 22 per litre to Rs 109.59 in Delhi, from Rs 87.67 per litre.
The government continues to monitor the situation closely and is working to protect citizens from the effects of the global energy challenges caused by the conflict.
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