West Asia war: Indian-flagged vessel “Jag Vasant” carrying 47,000 metric tonnes of LPG arrives at Vadinar port

20,000 MT of LPG will be discharged at Mumbai. Pic/PTI

Indian-flagged vessel "Jag Vasant" carrying 47,000 metric tonnes (MT) of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) arrived at Vadinar port in Gujarat's Jamnagar after crossing the Strait of Hormuz amid the West Asia crisis, an official said on Saturday.

MT Jag Vasant was anchored at 8.30 pm on Friday, loaded from Mina Al Ahmadi Port, Kuwait, according to a statement from Deendayal Port Authority, of which Vadinar port is a part.

"The 230-metre-long vessel is currently transferring 17,600 metric tonnes of LPG to the daughter vessel MT Rose Gas, a process expected to take approximately 15 hours. Following the transfer, the daughter vessel will proceed towards Kandla to discharge further," a port official said.

Cargo of 20,000 MT on "Jag Vasant", the mother vessel, will be discharged at Mumbai and another around 9000 MT will later be discharged at Mangaluru, the official added.

9000
MTs of LPG which will be discharged to Mangaluru

Centre proposes plan to add 50 lakh PNG connections

The Centre on Saturday pushed for rapid expansion of piped natural gas (PNG) networks. Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar proposed a rollout targeting 50 lakh new connections, alongside single-window clearances. "Cities must lead this transition as growth engines," he said. A phased LPG-to-PNG shift with streamlined processes and awareness campaigns was agreed upon.

Chhattisgarh: 3841 cylinders seized

The cylinders were seized from 335 locations. Pic/PTI

Authorities in Chhattisgarh have seized 3841 LPG cylinders from 335 locations in a crackdown on hoarding over the past two weeks. The review, chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, comes amid concerns linked to the West Asia conflict. "The supply chain remains completely smooth and normal, and no shortages… will be allowed," Sai said. Officials added 97 FIRs were registered, while maintaining there is no shortage of LPG or petroleum products in the state.

PM Modi makes calls

Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke to Crown Prince and PM of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, reiterating India's condemnation of attacks on regional energy infrastructure.

"Discussed the ongoing conflict in West Asia [with Prince Mohammed bin Salman]… Thanked him for his continued support for the welfare of the Indian community in Saudi Arabia," he said in a tweet.

Modi has also spoken to several world leaders since the conflict started and they include those from the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Iran, France, Israel, and Malaysia.

US President Donald Trump has also spoken to Modi following which the Prime Minister said he "had a useful exchange of views on the situation in West Asia". This was the first interaction between Trump and Modi since February 28. The New York Times had earlier reported that billionaire Elon Musk was also on this call. A spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, however, denies this claim.

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