The Centre on Monday firmly denied reports suggesting that domestic 14.2-kg LPG cylinders could be converted into 10-kg units. The government terming these claims as “highly speculative” and urged citizens not to believe rumours, even as it ramped up enforcement against hoarding and expanded piped gas connections amid the ongoing West Asia crisis.Addressing a media briefing at the National Media Centre, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery) in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said there was no basis to the reports. “This is highly speculative, and there cannot be any comment or explanation to any speculation. Don’t believe rumours,” she said.The clarification came during the inter-ministerial briefing, which is being held regularly in view of the evolving situation in West Asia and its potential spill-over effects.The official emphasised that India’s energy supply chain remains stable despite the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with all refineries operating at high capacity and maintaining adequate crude inventories.“Stocks of petrol and diesel are sufficient, and no cases of fuel shortages have been reported at retail outlets,” officials said, cautioning citizens against panic buying.In a significant push towards alternative fuel adoption, the government said more than 3.5 lakh domestic and commercial PNG (piped natural gas) connections have been issued or activated by City Gas Distribution (CGD) entities in the first three weeks of March alone. Companies such as IGL, MGL, GAIL Gas and BPCL have been incentivised to prioritise PNG connections, particularly for commercial establishments.On LPG availability, officials said supplies continue to be closely monitored, with no reported dry-outs at distributorships.The government claimed panic bookings had subsided, and deliveries were proceeding normally. Besides, the government has progressively restored commercial LPG supplies, with total allocation now reaching 50 per cent, including additional quotas for priority sectors such as restaurants, hotels, community kitchens and food processing units.Meanwhile, enforcement agencies have intensified action against hoarding and black marketing. Over the past 24 hours, around 2,400 raids were conducted across the country, leading to the seizure of more than 800 cylinders. Major operations were reported from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.So far, approximately 550 FIRs have been registered and around 150 persons arrested in connection with violations, officials said.Public sector oil marketing companies also carried out over 2,600 surprise inspections at retail outlets and LPG distributorships over the weekend.The government reiterated that ensuring uninterrupted LPG supply and accelerating PNG adoption, especially for households and critical sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions, remained its top priorities. Citizens have been advised to rely only on official information, avoid panic bookings and conserve energy, it added.