Guwahati, March 25 Panic buying of petrol and diesel was reported from several parts of Assam, including the largest city Guwahati, on Wednesday as reports of a fuel shortage circulated on social media, even as the government affirmed that there was no supply shortage.
Long queues were seen in front of petrol pumps as people tried to fill the tanks of their vehicles, anticipating a shortage of fuel.
In Guwahati, several petrol pumps hung "no fuel" signs or were completely closed down after running out of stock due to panic buying.
Similar reports of panic buying leading to depletion of stocks were received from Golaghat, Nagaon, and Darrang districts, among other places.
However, Chief Secretary Ravi Kota maintained that there was no shortage of fuel and blamed "mischievous elements" for causing panic.
"There is no shortage of petrol or diesel in the state. We have checked with the suppliers, including IOCL, BPCL, and HPCL," Kota told