Fuel panic grips Guwahati amid rumours of shortage, govt assures adequate supply

Guwahati, March 26: After witnessing the crisis of LPG cylinders, are taxpayers now staring at a possible fuel shortage? Or is it more about rumour-induced panic buying rather than an actual shortage?

Reports pouring in from various parts of the State, including Guwahati, indicate that many fuel depots are fast drying up. Whether this is an artificial crisis or a sign of things to come is still unclear. The situation has triggered panic buying among people, further adding to fear and apprehension, resulting in at least 30 per cent more fuel sales than the average business.

Sources at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas told this correspondent that there is no shortage of fuel as of now, although some private players might be trying to create an artificial crisis.

“The war in West Asia has definitely had some impact. But as of now, things are under control. The Ministry is keeping a close eye on the situation,” a senior official said.

At an Indian Oil petrol pump at Rajgarh Road, a ‘No Petrol’ placard has been placed on dispensers. Workers explained that demand has surged suddenly, with people invariably filling their tanks.

“Plus, we are told that there is a shortage at the source,” one of them said. The Office of the DC (Kamrup Metro) has sprung into action, preparing a status report on the exact stock position of all depots.

“Our team is working on it and very soon, the picture would be clear,” a source said. An employee at an Indian Oil depot said they had witnessed a huge rush of customers since early morning, which pushed overall sales.

“However, although sales have suddenly increased, we are still waiting for our quota of refilling to arrive. If the tanker does not arrive today, we will exhaust our existing stock by tomorrow,” he said.

The manager of a city-based HP depot added that the panic is not totally unfounded. “It is not that there is an acute shortage of supply. Having said that, since the last week or so, we are not getting the amount of fuel we used to get earlier. Further, the companies are asking for advance payment, which was not the case earlier. In Guwahati, the loading deadline too has been reduced from 4 pm to 3 pm, which somewhat explains the situation,” he said.

However, the Northeast India Petroleum Dealers’ Association could not be reached out for comments despite repeated attempts.

Meanwhile, when asked, Chief Secretary Ravi Kota said there is no shortage of fuel. “We checked up with each of the pumps in the city. All said that they have enough stock of diesel and petrol,” he said.