Amid concerns of fuel shortages causing panic buying in Hyderabad, the Telangana government reassured the public that there is an ample supply of petrol, diesel, and LPG in the state. Minister for Civil Supplies and Irrigation, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, stated that stocks are abundant for the next three months, with current supply exceeding demand.
Oil marketing companies like Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) have increased supplies significantly to meet the surge in demand. On a recent day, these companies supplied 17,898 kilolitres (KL) against a demand of 17,246 KL, resulting in an excess of 652 KL.
Despite a sudden 25% rise in daily demand due to panic buying, supplies have been maintained 22% above average levels to ensure continuous availability. The government has arranged an additional 16,000 KL of buffer stock and deployed 1,200 extra tankers to keep fuel stations well-stocked.
The Minister emphasized that any temporary “no stock” signs at some outlets were due to delayed tanker arrivals, not actual shortages. He also warned against the illegal and hazardous practice of using cans to transport petrol and diesel, stating that officials are enforcing strict measures against it.
