Govt rejects criticism over US waiver on Russian oil
The Government on Friday said that India has never been dependent on permission from any nation to buy Russian oil following Opposition criticism after the US issued a 30-day waiver allowing Indian refiners to buy Russian oil cargoes.
“Russian oil continued to flow into India and New Delhi never completely stopped buying oil from Russia as part of its policy to source energy needs from diversified sources, even after the US objected to it and imposed sanctions,” a top official of the petroleum ministry said.
Russia remains India’s top crude supplier in February. India’s imports of Russia crude rose 6 per cent month-on-month in February. At February end, Russian oil stood at 20 percent of the total imported crude oil.
The official added, the message from the Centre to every Indian household is clear that the country’s fuel supply is fully secure. “No petrol pump has run dry in 12 years. What certain voices are calling a crisis is, in fact, the proof of preparation. India’s energy governance has given us the insulation we need,” they said. “The US waiver of sanctions removes friction. It does not define India’s policy, which is governed by the energy trilemma — affordability, availability and sustainability — for every Indian household.”
Dismissing the Opposition’s criticism of the US waiver, they said it is “not surprising that they are nitpicking on selective words”. “Clearly shows the Opposition is unaware of how countries frame statements and use bombast keeping their domestic audiences and politics in mind. India will buy oil from wherever it is available. Our oil purchases will not be governed by any hollow slogans. India has never depended on permission from any country to buy Russian oil,” another senior government official said.
Meanwhile, the Government has asked public and private refiners to increase their production of LPG, invoking the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. “Indian government has passed an order to all public and private refiners to produce more LPG and not divert or utilise propane and butane for other petrochemical products,” sources said.
Sources said Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL), which hadn’t purchased Russian oil since December, are back in the market. Reliance Industries Ltd, too, is seeking Russian oil deliveries.
Around 90 per cent of India’s crude oil is imported, of which 40 per cent to 50 percent comes from West Asia. This makes any alternatives such as Russian crude important.
