VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh has adequate petrol and diesel stocks to last for 17 days, with only four out of 4,510 fuel outlets currently non-operational due to credit-related issues, said Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar, assuring that additional supplies are being arranged to meet demand.
Addressing the media on Tuesday after a high-level review with oil companies, LPG agencies, and State coordinators, the Minister said there is no shortage of fuel in the State and urged people not to panic over rumours circulating on social media. He said a sudden surge in demand, triggered by misinformation, led to long queues at fuel stations in recent days.
To meet the increased demand, petrol supplies have been stepped up by 8% and diesel by 2.4%, he said, adding that the situation is gradually stabilising. “There is no need for panic buying. Supply chains are functioning normally and stocks are sufficient,” he asserted.
On LPG, the Minister said supply disruptions were mainly due to a spike in bookings. While the State usually records around 1.8 lakh bookings per day, it witnessed nearly five lakh bookings in a single day following rumours linked to global developments. This created a temporary backlog, which is now being cleared.
Manohar said the Centre has increased the commercial LPG quota to 70% from April 1, providing major relief to traders, hotels, hospitals, and other commercial establishments. He said strict action is being taken against black marketing, with 146 cases registered and over 4,285 illegal cylinders seized. The government is monitoring the situation, he added.