Bhopal, April 6 Public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) on Monday said they are maintaining steady and adequate supplies of LPG and automotive fuel in Madhya Pradesh despite the ongoing war in West Asia and allayed fears of shortages.
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) asserted that domestic LPG supplies have been prioritized and cylinder deliveries continue as normal.
IOCL Chief General Manager and its Madhya Pradesh head, Ajay Kumar Shrivastava, told reporters at his state office in Bhopal that 2,485 raids have been conducted in MP, ten FIRs have been lodged, and 3,561 cylinders have been seized to curb hoarding following the February 28 joint US-Israel attack on Iran, which disrupted the global fuel supply chains.
He admitted that the companies' online booking system struggled for some time due to market panic in the initial days of the conflict, but the situation has vastly improved now.
"It is in perfect shape now," Shrivastava affirmed.
Oil companies are supplying around 2.20 lakh LPG cylinders daily in Madhya Pradesh, consistent with levels prior to recent geopolitical tensions, he emphasised.
Shrivastava, who is also the MP coordinator of the oil industry, said the state has 13 LPG bottling plants of PSU oil marketing companies (OMCs) that are maintaining adequate stocks and meeting full customer demand through a network of 1,552 distributors.
He insisted that the supply of commercial LPG is also being maintained as per guidelines, under close monitoring by oil companies and the state government.
The IOCL Chief General Manager added that 5 kg cylinders are being supplied as a convenient option for low-consumption users and those without local address proof, including students and migrant workers.
Camps are being organised at industrial clusters such as Mandideep, Pitampur, Govindpura, Malanpur, Dewas and Singrauli to facilitate these consumers, the IOCL MP head said.
Shrivastava informed that customers are being encouraged to use digital modes such as SMS, missed calls and IVRS for booking LPG refills, adding that nearly 95 per cent of bookings are currently made through digital platforms.
He said deliveries are being carried out with Delivery Authentication Codes (DAC OTP) to ensure cylinders reach genuine customers.
Shrivastava maintained that in coordination with state government authorities, multiple teams have been deployed to conduct surprise inspections of LPG distributors to curb black-marketing and hoarding.
He said OMCs are monitoring concerns raised on social media about fuel supply and addressing complaints related to malpractices by certain distributors.
"Supplies remain adequate and there was no shortage of LPG in the country. Customers should not queue at distributorships or resort to panic booking," the senior executive suggested.
"They should not believe in rumours and rely only on official information. OMCs remain committed to seamless LPG availability and transparency in distribution," he insisted.
According to the OMCs, petrol and diesel supplies are also being maintained as per demand, with 7,147 retail outlets operating across Madhya Pradesh, including 649 run by private firms.
They said the state has robust storage infrastructure with four terminals and 13 bulk POL (Petroleum, Oil and Lubricant) depots maintaining adequate stocks to ensure uninterrupted supplies.
As per OMCs, around 8,000 kilolitres of petrol and 16,000 kilolitres of diesel are being supplied daily in the state, compared to about 12,000 kilolitres of diesel earlier.
They said stocks are being replenished through pipelines and rail wagons and there was no concern regarding availability of petroleum products.
The companies advised people not to pay attention to rumours or engage in panic buying of fuel, assuring seamless supply in the state.
India remains heavily dependent on the Gulf region, where the war has entered its second month, for its oil supplies.