Bhubaneswar: Amid the ongoing fuel crisis in Odisha, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra Friday said there is no shortage of petrol and diesel in the state. He said Odisha has adequate fuel stock and urged people not to panic.
According to the minister, fuel stations are supplying limited quantities because of the huge rush at outlets. He clarified that the government has not imposed any such restriction. The minister added that Odisha currently has fuel stock for 13 days.
The minister said the government has directed authorities to conduct raids against black marketing and prioritise fuel supply for public transport vehicles such as buses and trucks.
He added that oil marketing companies (OMCs) have confirmed adequate fuel stock and smooth supply chains.
Kamal Sheel, Chief General Manager of Indian Oil Corporation Limited, said Odisha requires around 44.7 lakh litres of petrol and 1.12 crore litres of diesel every day.
“Demand has increased over the last two to three days. There is no shortage of fuel anywhere in the state, and supply is being monitored district-wise,” Sheel said, urging people not to crowd fuel stations or stockpile fuel unnecessarily.
He said each district currently has sufficient fuel stock for three to four days, and replenishment is being carried out regularly based on demand.
Replying to a query, Sheel said some petrol pumps remained temporarily shut for reasons unrelated to fuel availability.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress criticised the BJP government over the situation.
“Long queues, ‘No Stock’ boards and rising fuel prices across Odisha have exposed the complete failure of the BJP government. If everything was under control, what happened to the Prime Minister’s assurances before the elections?” Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das said in a post on X.
BJD leader and MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain blamed the BJP government for the situation. “The current situation has been created due to flawed economic policies,” Swain said.
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It may be noted that the global economic crisis has intensified since February 28 due to the Iran war. Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime route through which oil, gas and other goods are transported from Arab countries to different parts of the world. Although a ceasefire has been in place for the past few weeks, movement of goods through the Hormuz route has not fully returned to normal.
As a result, several countries, including India, are facing shortages of fuel and cooking gas. Odisha has also been affected by the situation. Earlier, the state witnessed issues related to cooking gas supply, and now shortages of petrol and diesel have been reported at several fuel stations.
Some filling stations have displayed notices stating that petrol and diesel are unavailable, while long queues are being seen at others. In several places, consumers are being supplied only a fixed quantity of petrol and diesel instead of the amount they require.
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