BHUBANESWAR: Fuel crisis fears triggered panic buying across Odisha on Thursday, with long queues seen at several petrol pumps and outlets running dry at several places, disrupting normal life in many parts of the state. Public transport was also affected with a section of private buses going off road due to fuel scarcity fears.
The state government, however, maintained that there was no shortage of petrol or diesel and appealed to people not to resort to panic buying.
In Bhubaneswar, fuel stations in Chandrasekharpur, CRP Square and Rasulgarh witnessed long queues of vehicles waiting to refill petrol and diesel tanks. Several outlets reportedly imposed limits on fuel sales, ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 1,000 for two-wheelers and four-wheelers respectively.
In Berhampur, many petrol pumps reportedly remained closed for nearly six hours. In Puri, some consumers were forced to buy petrol in the black market at `150 per litre.
The All Odisha Private Bus Owners’ Association (AOPBOA) alleged that the situation had started affecting bus services, particularly in rural and border areas. Association secretary Debendra Sahoo claimed that fuel stations in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Koraput and Rayagada, among other places, had either remained shut or were facing delayed fuel supplies.
“Buses are being forced to wait in long queues for fuel, affecting travel schedules. The cap of a maximum 50 litre of petrol or diesel at some outlets has further worsened the situation. If the crisis continues, bus services in the state may come to a complete halt,” he warned.
General secretary of All India Petroleum Dealers’ Association and Utkal Petroleum Dealers’ Association Sanjay Lath admitted that the panic buying has led to an increase in demand for fuel in the state by 50 per cent. “In Odisha, the daily demand for petrol is approximately 4,000 kilolitre, while for diesel it is around 8,600 kilolitre. However, the demand has increased by at least 50 per cent in the last three days, largely due to panic buying,” he said.
He further said every petrol pump in the state was automated and oil companies can monitor their stock levels in realtime. They should ensure smooth supply of the fuel from the depots to ensure this crisis is avoided. All four fuel depots in the state had adequate stock, he added.
“The sudden spike in sales is mainly due to panic buying and the rumours about a fuel crisis and possible hike in petrol and diesel prices. However, the situation will stabilise if fuel is made available at all stations,” he said.
The state government also continued to reiterate that there was adequate fuel stock. Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare department secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh told mediapersons that the state has around 2,850 petrol pumps and the dry-out situation was reported in less than one per cent of them.
“Only 20 to 22 pumps are reportedly running dry, either for petrol or diesel. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that there is a fuel crisis. We have adequate stock,” Singh asserted.
“The department is conducting daily monitoring and review of fuel stock positions across the state. Continuous supervision is being carried out to assess the availability of petrol and diesel at retail outlets,” Singh said.
He said the department was also in constant touch with officials of the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) to ensure smooth supply and distribution of fuel. A crisis management team has been formed to closely monitor the situation and respond immediately wherever problems are being reported, Singh added.
He urged people not to believe the rumours or become unnecessarily anxious over reports of fuel scarcity.