Panaji: As panic buying of petrol entered the third day across Goa, the Goa petrol dealers association has issued a public advisory urging citizens to remain calm, calling rumours of shortage in fuel “false and misleading”. The advisory comes amid heightened public concern stemming from geopolitical tensions related to the war in West Asia.Association president Narahar Thakur said fuel stations across Goa and other parts of the country have witnessed a spike in sales, rising to nearly 2.5 to 3 times, as consumers rushed to fill their tanks since Tuesday evening.“This panic buying has led to temporary stock exhaustion at several retail outlets,” the association said, clarifying that the situation was not due to any actual supply disruption.Thakur said that there is no shortage of fuel and that supplies from major oil companies, including Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, remain stable. “Adequate stock is available, and supply chains are functioning normally,” he said.The association also raised safety concerns over storing fuel in containers. It warned that carrying petrol or diesel in cans violates norms set by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation and poses serious risks. Improper storage, it noted, could lead to hazardous situations, including fire accidents.The association urged citizens to avoid panic buying, purchase fuel as needed, refrain from storing fuel in containers, and refrain from spreading unverified information.The department of civil supplies also issued a statement on Thursday that “there is sufficient and regular supply of petrol and diesel available at oil terminals as well as LPG in the state”, ensuring that there is no supply disruption.“The situation is being monitored at the RO, district, state, and national levels. Therefore, there is no need to fear regarding the availability of petrol and diesel, and supply will continue without any disruption,” the department stated.
