Guwahati: Rumours of fuel shortage on social media triggered panic buying of petrol and diesel across the state, drying up stocks at many fuel retail outlets, even though govt affirmed that ‘there was no supply crunch’.Long queues were seen in front of petrol pumps as people tried to fill their vehicle tanks, anticipating a shortage of fuel. A number of petrol pumps ran dry due to panic buying in various parts of the state.
CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said there is no shortage of petrol, diesel or LPG in the state and urged people not to panic-buy. “There is sufficient availability of petrol, diesel and LPG in Assam. There is no fear of any shortage,” he said. He added that the Govt of India has also clarified the situation during an all-party meeting, reiterating that there is no disruption in fuel supply across the country.“Even in the all-party meeting, the Centre has clearly stated that there is no shortage of petrol and diesel. I would request people not to rush to fuel stations and not to stock petrol and diesel excessively,” he added.Meanwhile, state chief secretary Ravi Kota said there is no shortage of petrol and diesel in the state, as the combined production of all four refineries in Assam exceeds local demand.He said there are no anticipated bottlenecks in the supply chain, including the movement of fuel from refineries to retail outlets. The fuel marketing companies have also said there is no crisis in stock.“There is no shortage of petrol or diesel in the state. We have checked with the suppliers, including IOCL, BPCL and HPCL. In the state of Assam, the availability of petrol and diesel is quite surplus. Out of total petrol and diesel produced in four refineries in Assam, the state consumes only 27%. In other words, there is a surplus of 73%,” the chief secretary wrote in a post on official X handle.Kota further said police will register criminal cases against those who buy petrol and diesel in loose containers under the charges of ‘negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter’ and ‘negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter’ of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, in addition to relevant charges under the Petroleum Act, 1934 and Explosives Act, 1884.The Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) issued a direction to retail outlet dealers and staff to avoid dispensing of fuels in loose containers, drums, plastic bottles, canisters etc. which is strictly prohibited and illegal according to petroleum safety regulations and state directives.Kota said in Guwahati the administration has checked with each of the 35 petrol pumps within the city and all had confirmed they have adequate stock. He wrote on X, “After review and verification with Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), as well as individual petrol and diesel outlets across Assam, including Guwahati city, it has been confirmed that there is adequate stock of petrol and diesel in line with the state’s normal requirements at both OMC depots and retail pumps.”“Additionally, IOCL has relaxed the payment terms for retailers, allowing them to make payments within three days of purchase, instead of the earlier same-day payment requirement,” he added.
