Hyderabad, March 25 The Telangana government on Wednesday refuted claims of a fuel shortage and urged the public to ignore the rumors that have triggered panic buying across the state.
As motorists began rushing to fuel stations in Hyderabad amid rumors of a shortage since Tuesday evening, the Telangana Petroleum Dealers Association reassured the public that there is adequate stock available with HPCL, IOCL, and BPCL, and that supply chains are functioning normally.
Addressing concerns, the government said there is no shortage of any petroleum products in the state.
Telangana Minister for Civil Supplies and Irrigation N Uttam Kumar Reddy, along with Civil Supplies Department Commissioner M Stephen Raveendra, categorically stated that stocks are more than adequate for the next three months and that supply is currently running well ahead of demand, an official release said.
The Minister said that oil marketing companies — IOCL, BPCL, and HPCL — have significantly increased supplies. As of Wednesday, against a demand of 17,246 kilolitres (KL), the companies supplied 17,898 KL, leaving an excess of nearly 652 KL, it said.
Uttam Kumar Reddy pointed out that while daily demand has suddenly spiked by 25 percent due to panic buying, supplies have been maintained at 22 percent above the average, ensuring seamless availability.
An additional 16,000 KL of buffer stock has already been arranged, and 1,200 extra tankers have been put into service to keep fuel stations fully stocked.
Any temporary "no stock" signs seen at a few outlets were only because the tankers had not yet arrived, and not due to any actual shortage, he clarified.
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. The use of containers will not be allowed. OMCs have been strictly instructed," the Minister warned.
He appealed to the public not to engage in panic buying, saying that all rumors of shortages were baseless.
Regarding the availability of LPG, the Minister said that domestic LPG cylinders and petrol/diesel are in abundant supply with no shortage.
While there is a "problem" with commercial LPG cylinders, the government is taking up the matter with the Centre, he said.
In a related development, authorities have seized a total of 2,952 commercial cylinders being illegally used, the release said.
Noting that 596 petrol stations are functioning in Hyderabad city alone, the minister said, "No bunk is being allowed to close. 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."
Calling the current rush "purely panic-driven", Uttam Kumar Reddy urged citizens to stop rumour-mongering and avoid hoarding.
"There is absolutely no need for panic. Petrol, diesel, and domestic LPG are in abundant supply," he added.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar on Wednesday urged residents to remain calm.
In a post on 'X', he said: "Citizens are requested not to panic or indulge in unnecessary rush that may create disruption. The situation is being closely monitored. Please remain calm and cooperate."
The association said that it has come to its notice that due to the circulation of rumors regarding a fuel shortage, people are rushing to fuel stations and filling their tanks unnecessarily.
"This panic buying has led to an abnormal surge in sales—nearly 2.5 to 3 times the normal levels—resulting in temporary stock exhaustion at several retail outlets across the country," the association said in a statement.
The petroleum dealers' body appealed to the public to avoid panic buying and to purchase fuel only as per regular needs and not store fuel in unauthorized containers.
Long queues of two-wheelers, auto-rickshaws, and other vehicles were witnessed at fuel stations in several parts of Hyderabad since Tuesday evening due to rumors of a fuel shortage.
A two-wheeler rider said he waited at the petrol pump for more than 20 minutes to refill and found several outlets were overcrowded, while another consumer said he waited for more than one hour filling CNG in his four-wheeler.
