The Indian government has reassured citizens that there is no fuel shortage, urging against panic buying despite reported long queues at petrol stations.
The government on Wednesday urged people not to panic buy fuel, assuring that there is no shortage of petrol or diesel despite long queues reported at several retail outlets. Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery) in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said India has sufficient refining capacity and adequate fuel supplies across the country.
“I want to inform my countrymen that we have the capacity to refine approximately 26 crore tons of crude oil annually,” Sharma said. “Over the past two days, we have seen lines outside retail outlets and petrol pumps in many areas, and panic buying has also been observed.”
She stressed that there is no disruption in supply. “We have sufficient petrol and diesel available. There is no shortage at any petrol pump. The terminals supplying petrol pumps also have sufficient quantities,” Sharma said.
Urging calm, she added, “Therefore, do not believe rumours and avoid panic buying. I also want to inform you that there has been no increase in the price of petrol and diesel.”
Photo : PTI
“Domestic PNG connection is the government’s priority, and 100 per cent supply is being made available to consumers. 100 per cent CNG is also being made available to consumers,” she added.
The reassurance comes as the government moves to manage fuel availability and promote alternative energy distribution systems amid global supply concerns.
In a related step, authorities have issued a new order mandating that liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supply will be discontinued for households that do not switch to piped natural gas (PNG) where such connections are available.
#WATCH | Delhi: Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery), Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, says, “I want to inform my countrymen that we have the capacity to refine approximately 26 crore tons of crude oil annually. Over the past two days, we have seen lines… pic.twitter.com/ehJfN9frBt
— ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2026
The order, notified by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on March 24, states that LPG supply “shall cease after three months” if consumers do not opt for PNG despite availability, unless it is technically infeasible to provide a connection.
