No fuel shortage in UP, insist oil marketing companies, petrol dealers

LUCKNOW: Oil marketing companies (OMCs) and the Uttar Pradesh Petrol Dealers Association on Thursday said that there was no shortage of petrol or diesel anywhere in the state. The clarification came amid reports of a few fuel stations temporarily running out of diesel due to a sudden spike in demand.According to OMCs, Uttar Pradesh has over 13,000 fuel stations, and the state's daily consumption stands at 1.90 crore litres of petrol (13.87 TMT) and 3.50 crore litres of diesel (29.4 TMT). On average, each fuel station is currently holding 4–5 days of stock, while the state itself has reserves sufficient for 10–15 days, a level considered normal. Sanjay Bhandari, state-level OMC coordinator and executive director of Indian Oil Corporation (UP), said the supply chain is functioning smoothly. "Petrol and diesel are abundantly available across the state. There is no need to panic or hoard fuel. We urge citizens not to believe or spread rumours about shortages," he said. Despite stable supply, dealers acknowledged that panic buying caused temporary stock-outs at a few outlets. Farmers, transporters and private vehicle owners reportedly refilled tanks more frequently, leading to rapid depletion at some stations. In Lucknow, at least two stations—including a company-owned, company-operated (COCO) outlet near Husadiya Chauraha and one in Hazratganj—declared a temporary diesel shortage on Thursday. Lucknow district consumes around 6 lakh litres of diesel and 3 lakh litres of petrol daily. The district has nearly 300 fuel stations, including 167 privately owned. Dealers said some private outlets ran out of stock because of excessive demand. Alok Trivedi, general secretary of the Lucknow Petrol Dealer Association, said, "Panic buying by farmers, transporters and private vehicle owners led to a sudden drain at some stations. There is no shortage of petrol, diesel or CNG in the city. We appeal to consumers not to hoard fuel." LPDA president Virendra Pratap Singh added that only a few private oil company-operated stations temporarily suspended sales, while govt company-owned COCO outlets and dealer-run stations continued to function normally. State petrol dealers association president Ranjeet Kumar also reassured consumers: "All fuel stations across Uttar Pradesh have sufficient stock. There is no need for panic."