The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas today categorically rejected rumours of fuel shortages and price hikes, confirming that adequate stocks of petroleum products and natural gas are available across the country.
In a high-level virtual review meeting chaired by the Ministry, senior Odisha government officials including Chief Secretary Anu Garg and Principal Secretary, Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare Department, Sanjay Kumar Singh participated from Lok Seva Bhawan.
The meeting focused on ensuring seamless supply of fuel to consumers. The Ministry directed all stakeholders to take immediate steps so that supply of petrol, diesel and CNG remains uninterrupted. Officials emphasised that oil refineries are operating at full capacity and there is no cause for panic.
The government has dismissed all circulating rumours of fuel scarcity or impending price increases as completely baseless. Consumers have been urged not to hoard petrol, diesel or LPG.
In a bid to promote cleaner fuel, commercial establishments will now be prioritised for piped natural gas (PNG) supply in place of LPG cylinders. To prevent black-marketing and hoarding, the Ministry has advised all state governments to invoke the Essential Commodities Act and take strict enforcement measures.
The administration has also been asked to run awareness campaigns on social media, warning people against falling prey to misinformation that creates unnecessary fear.
As an immediate monitoring measure, 24×7 control rooms will be activated at district and state levels to track the ground situation and submit daily reports to the Centre.
The Ministry reiterated that citizens should rely only on official sources and ignore unverified claims on social media.
