New Delhi, Aug. 16 -- The Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas has, for the first time, set cooking gas production targets for refineries in the country in the wake of the supply squeeze due to the war in West Asia.

The ministry has also directed all refiners and upstream oil companies, both public and private, to build and maintain adequate liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage, evacuation, and transport infrastructure, either on their own or via railways and road tankers, sufficient to meet their allocated quantities.

In a notification dated 13 August, the ministry specified maximum LPG production levels for 21 refineries and upstream companies, with a combined production potential of 63,810 tonnes per day.

"Central Government...