’14 Indian ships still stuck near Strait of Hormuz’:Govt rejects claims of Indian ships paying in US dollars to cross the crucial waterway

The Central Government on Wednesday, 22 April, 2026, rejected claims that Indian ships paid in the US dollars to cross the Hormuz Strait. Currently, 13 Indian flagged vessels and one Indian-owned vessel are struck towards the Persian Gulf side of the Hormuz Strait. While, so far 10 have passed the strait. The list also includes crude oil tanker ‘Desh Garima’ with 31 Indian seafarers on board, which reached the West Coast India on Wednesday. The government also said that no incidents have been reported regarding attack on any Indian flagged vessels in the last 24 hours. Over 5 lakh new PNG connections: Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary, India’s Ministry of Petroleum Natural Gas said that the government has taken a lot of steps to expand Piped Natural Gas (PNG) network. Since March 2026 till now, 5.10 lakh new households have got new PNG connections. Additionally, infrastructure is being made ready to provide more 2.50 lakh PNG connections. Over 20 lakh 5 kg cyliners sold Sharma added that the Centre has ramped up the manufacture of 5 kg cylinders. The government has sold over 20 lakh 5 kg cylinders since March 23, 2026. Nearly 12 lakh passengers fly back to India from Gulf countries The government has been able to fly 11.91 lakh passengers from Gulf countries to India, since 28 February, 2026. Iran airspace remains partially open. The Centre said that 110 flights are expected to land from UAE to India on Wednesday. Ministry of External Affairs continues to monitor the situation in the Gulf region. The government has given high priority to safety of India sailors on the sea routes. The government has also diverted LPG supply from industries to stakeholders of the Char Dham yatra to ensure pilgrims face no problems. A government spokesperson also said that the Centre has taken several measures to facilitate smooth functioning of the paint industry. The government has ensured that manufacturers face minimal challenges in the procurement of raw materials for the manufacturing of paints. The Centre also said that there are green shoots of price rise in raw materials used in manufacturing of footwear. ​