Bhubaneswar: Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Friday assured citizens that there is no shortage of petrol and diesel in Odisha, with sufficient stocks available for the next 13 days.
The minister’s reassurance came after widespread concern over potential supply disruptions linked to geopolitical tensions in West Asia, including reports related to the Strait of Hormuz. Many petrol pumps reportedly ran dry temporarily as anxious consumers rushed to refill their tanks and, in some cases, hoard fuel.
Addressing the media, Patra attributed the chaos to panic-driven demand, noting that consumption of petrol and diesel had surged by nearly 50% in recent days due to overcrowding at outlets. “People queued up at petrol pumps, and overloaded tanks exceeding their requirement,” he said, while appealing people not to hoard fuel in containers or jerrycans and urged calm.
Patra clarified that the surge stemmed partly from a misconception around Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal to reduce fuel consumption as a measure to strengthen the economy. “Oil is imported and transactions are made in dollars. Similar is the case with gold, which strengthens dollars. The PM’s appeal was intended at protecting India’s foreign exchange reserves and stabilizing the Indian Rupee during a period of high global economic volatility. But some interpreted the advice as a signal of an impending shortage, triggering unnecessary buying,” he noted.
The minister said that officials have been directed to conduct raids against black marketing and instructed authorities to prioritise fuel su
pply for public transport services like buses and trucks. “There is no official order on rationing fuel. It was done at the petrol pumps to control the situation amid long queues,” he said.
A high-level meeting was held at Lok Seva Bhavan, where senior officials from oil companies discussed maintaining normal distribution.
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Earlier, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh had also clarified that there is no fuel crisis in the state. He noted that less than 1% of Odisha’s approximately 2,850 petrol pumps face temporary shortages, with only 20–22 outlets affected at any time. “It will be wrong to say that there is a fuel crisis in the state. The government has been closely monitoring petrol and diesel stocks… The issue is more due to operational snags and stock mismanagement than any actual shortage,” Singh said.
He pointed to possible delays in dealers depositing funds with oil companies.
The government has formed district-level crisis management groups headed by collectors to monitor the situation and restore supply quickly. While no complaints of hoarding have so far been received, strict action will be taken against any black marketing or overcharging.
Sanjay Lath, General Secretary of the Utkal Petroleum Dealers’ Association, echoed the assurance: “There is no shortage of fuel and no possibility of a price hike.” He attributed the rush partly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for reduced consumption, which some interpreted as a sign of impending issues. “Due to the sudden spike in demand, some petrol pumps with smaller storage temporarily ran dry,” Lath added.
Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have also confirmed adequate overall stocks and normal supply chains, urging people to avoid unnecessary panic buying that strains logistics.