NEW DELHI, 27 Mar: There is no possibility of imposition of lockdown in the country, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in the Rajya Sabha on Friday and indicated raising additional resources to make up for the shortfall arising from the excise duty cut on diesel and petrol.
She also stressed that the government will remain on its toes to manage the fiscal position.
The minister also strongly refuted rumours of a possible lockdown in the wake of energy supply disruptions due to the West Asia crisis, as she appealed to politicians to refrain from any rumour-mongering and create fear in the minds of people.
Driven by the West Asia conflict, international crude oil prices have surged from USD 70 per barrel to USD 122 per barrel — a situation that is causing challenges for India, which meets more than 80 per cent of its fuel requirements from imports.
Earlier in the day, the government, in a media briefing, said India has enough petrol, diesel and LPG stocks to last at least two months with normal delivery cycles, as it ruled out imposing any lockdown.
