New Delhi, March 10 -- Amidst growing pressure on global fuel supplies due to the ongoing West Asia conflict, the Union Government on Tuesday invoked the Essential Commodities Act (EC Act) to safeguard the domestic energy market.

According to the Petroleum Ministry, the government has issued a control order directing refineries and petrochemical units to maximize the production of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and divert key hydrocarbon streams to the LPG pool to ensure an uninterrupted supply of cooking gas across the country.

The Petroleum Ministry stated that the invocation of the Act has established a clear priority list for natural gas distribution to manage current supply constraints.

Under this new mandate, there is a 100% assur...