With 50% rise in fuel demand in state, minister asks people not to panic

Bhubaneswar: Food supplies and consumer welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Friday said fuel demand in the state has risen by around 50% over the past two days due to panic buying and urged people not to hoard petrol and diesel or crowd filling stations unnecessarily.

Amid the prevailing situation that has been reported from several parts of the state, Patra on Friday discussed with officials of several oil companies at Lok Seva Bhavan to assess availability of fuel stock and supply chain.

The minister also clarified that the govt has not imposed any restriction on fuel supply at petrol pumps. “Sudden rush at fuel filling stations was triggered by panic among consumers, leading many to buy more fuel than they actually needed. We have oil stock for another 13 days and there is no shortage,” said the minister.

According to the minister, the panic buying led to long queues at petrol pumps across several areas. “Many consumers were seen purchasing fuel beyond their usual need, while some also brought big containers to buy and store petrol and diesel.

Patra appealed to the public to remain calm and avoid unnecessary purchases. He specifically urged people not to store fuel at home in containers, warning that such behaviour could worsen the situation. “I request everyone not to panic and to buy fuel according to their requirement,” he added.

The minister warned that strict action would be taken against those found hoarding fuel. “Raids would be conducted against hoarders, similar to the action taken earlier against LPG hoarders,” Patra said. Reiterating that supplies remain adequate, he said there was no reason to panic and asked consumers to cooperate to ensure smooth distribution across the state.