Sufficient stock of petrol, diesel for next 8 days: CM

Oil firms: Avoid panic buying

Panaji: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday sought to allay fears over the availability of petrol and diesel in the state, assuring that sufficient fuel stock is in place for the next eight days and urged citizens not to panic.

Addressing mediapersons at Mantralaya, Porvorim, Sawant said the government has taken stock of the situation amid reports of long queues at petrol pumps in Goa. “There is enough fuel quota for the next eight days. People need not panic or resort to unnecessary hoarding,” he said, adding that  he saw queues stretching up to a kilometre at some fuel stations.

However, he emphasised that the rush was largely due to panic buying rather than any real shortage of petrol and diesel. In a move to stabilise supply and prioritise essential needs, Sawant announced that from Thursday, 40 per cent of commercial LPG cylinders would be allocated specifically to commercial establishments.

At the same time, Sawant appealed to people to consider opting for piped natural gas (PNG) connections as a long-term solution.

“People should gradually shift to PNG wherever available. It is more convenient, and will help reduce dependency on LPG cylinders,” he said.

The Chief Minister said there should be no disruption in the supply of domestic LPG cylinders, adding that civil supplies secretary Sanjiv Gadkar is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with oil companies to maintain uninterrupted supply across the state.

PTI adds from New Delhi: The central government on Wednesday said there is no shortage of petrol, diesel or LPG in the country, and urged citizens not to believe rumours circulating on social media or resort to panic buying.

State-owned oil companies also said there is no shortage of petrol, diesel or LPG in the country, urging citizens not to believe rumours circulating on social media or resort to panic buying.

LPG supplies remain affected due to the ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a media briefing, Sujata Sharma, joint secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said all refineries are operating at high capacity with “adequate crude inventories”, while “sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel are being maintained” and retail outlets are functioning normally nationwide.

“Don’t believe in rumours. We have adequate fuel stocks and the government is making all efforts to reach them to consumers,” she said.

Sharma said “panic buying was reported in some areas due to rumours”, leading to unusually high sales and crowding at petrol pumps, even though “adequate stocks of petrol and diesel are available at all petrol pumps”.

“There are enough stock of petrol and diesel and there is no shortage of any retail outlet (petrol pump). Oil terminals also have enough stocks,” she said.

On LPG, the government said supply “continues to be affected due to the prevailing geopolitical situation”, though no dry-outs have been reported and cylinder deliveries are continuing as normal.

To ease pressure on LPG, the government is accelerating the shift to  PNG, with priority allocation ensuring “100 per cent supply to domestic PNG and CNG transport”, while industrial and commercial users are receiving around 80 per cent of their usual supply.

City gas distribution (CGD) companies have been directed to prioritise PNG connections for households and key institutions, with incentives being offered for both domestic and commercial users. The government has also asked states to fast-track approvals for pipeline expansion and simplify right-of-way permissions.

Sharma said in the last 25 days 2.5 lakh new PNG connections have been issued and 2.20 lakh LPG consumers have shifted to PNG.

Additional measures include higher domestic LPG production, extra kerosene allocation of 48,000 kilolitres to states, and promotion of alternative fuels such as PNG, electricity and coal to reduce dependence on LPG.

States have been directed to crack down on hoarding and black marketing, with over 2,700 raids conducted, around 2,000 cylinders seized, more than 650 FIRs registered and 155 arrests made so far.

Indian Oil Corporation, the nation’s largest oil firm, said, there is no shortage of petrol or diesel”, adding that its outlets are “well-stocked and fully operational”.

It cautioned that rumours “can create unnecessary concern and disrupt normal supply patterns” and urged citizens to “avoid panic buying and rely only on verified information”.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd termed reports of fuel shortages in certain areas “completely unfounded”, asserting that “there is no shortage of fuel across the nation”.

The company said India is a net exporter of petrol and diesel and has “adequate stocks of crude oil, petrol, diesel and ATF”, with supply chains operating “smoothly without any disruption”.

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd also said there is “no shortage of petrol, diesel or LPG across the country”, with supplies remaining stable and stocks adequate.