New Delhi, March 27 -- The Petroleum Ministry on Friday reaffirmed the government's commitment to maintaining stable petrol and diesel prices, despite India's high dependence on imports.

Speaking at a joint inter-ministerial briefing, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery), highlighted that more than 10,000 new PNG connections are being added daily through coordinated efforts between central ministries and state governments to fast-track approvals and expand the network.

"While fuel prices have increased in many countries around the world, petrol and diesel prices in India have not been raised. As mentioned earlier, excise duty reductions were implemented. The government had two options: either pass the burden to cons...