Telangana govt dismisses LPG and fuel shortage rumours, assures adequate stocks
The Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy assured the public that Hyderabad and Telangana have sufficient petroleum and diesel stocks for the next three months. Officials confirmed that all 596 fuel stations in Hyderabad are operational, with control rooms monitoring round-the-clock.
Hyderabad: As panic-stricken people continue to queue up at fuel stations, Civil Supplies N Uttam Kumar Reddy has made an unequivocal assertion that the state had petroleum and diesel stocks which are sufficient for the next three months and that the supply was currently running well ahead of demand.
Addressing a press conference, the Minister along with Civil Supplies Commissioner Stephen Ravindra said Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) had ramped up supplies significantly.
Today, the oil companies supplied 17,898 Kilo Litres (KL) against a demand of 17,246 kilolitres (KL), leaving an excess of nearly 652 KL, he said. The daily demand suddenly increased by 25 percent due to panic buying, supplies have been maintained at 22 percent above the average, ensuring seamless availability, he stated.
He added that an additional 16,000 KL of buffer stock has already been arranged and 1,200 extra tankers have been pressed into service to keep fuel stations fully stocked. “The no stock boards visible at a few outlets are only because of the delay in the arrival of tankers and not due to any actual shortage,” Uttam Kumar said.
The government has also taken strong note of the use of cans and containers to carry petrol and diesel, terming the practice illegal and hazardous. “Officials are in the field. Use of containers will not be allowed. OMCs have been strictly instructed,” the Minister warned. He appealed to the public not to indulge in panic buying, stating that all rumours of shortages have no basis.
Referring to situations elsewhere in the country, he said major cities and depots such as Ahmedabad, Surat, Bengaluru, Dharwad and Belgaum (Belagavi) have been experiencing such panic buying instances. CNG and LPG supply chains remain fully intact. Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) were sufficient for 60 to 65 days and ONGC has extended a credit line to ensure uninterrupted supplies, the Minister said.
On the LPG front, the Minister clarified that domestic LPG cylinders and petrol and diesel were in abundant supply with no shortage. “While there is a problem with commercial LPG cylinders, the government is actively representing the matter to the Centre,” Uttam Kumar said, adding that authorities have seized a total of 2,952 commercial cylinders being misused or illegally filled.
596 fuel stations in Hyderabad fully operational
The Minister stressed that 596 fuel stations were functioning in Hyderabad city alone. “All shops and petrol bunks are open. No bunk is being allowed to close. Officials inspected outlets in LB Nagar and Bhairamalguda and found them fully operational,” he said.
Staff from the Civil Supplies Department have been reaching out to every bunk, and dedicated control rooms are monitoring supplies round-the-clock in coordination with Legal Metrology, Police and Civil Supplies officials.
