'Fuel scarcity' hits livelihood in Odisha, govt assures people of situation normalisation by Monday

Bhubaneswar: Amid allegations of fuel shortage across Odisha, the state government said the situation was triggered by panic buying and asserted that it would return to normal within 48 hours.

A senior official said the disruption was also caused by supply chain constraints failing to match sudden spikes in demand, adding that oil marketing companies were working overtime to restore normal distribution.

Though the state government has maintained that there is no shortage of fuel, reports from across the state indicated that daily wage earners, gig workers, fishermen and transport operators were facing a lot of trouble because of petrol and diesel shortage.

While gig workers and cab drivers claimed that long waiting hours at fuel stations were affecting their earnings, transport associations said thousands of vehicles remained off the roads due to fuel unavailability.

Fishermen in Chilika Lake and the coastal districts, including Puri, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur, said their livelihood had been hit due to diesel shortage.

"We are poor people and earn our livelihood through fishing in Chilika Lake. However, we could not use our boats due to a scarcity of fuel," fisherman Pani Ghadai said.

The Odisha Truck and Tipper Owners' Association in Rourkela claimed that nearly 20,000 vehicles were off the roads due to the disruption.

"I used to earn Rs 1,000 a day by working as a delivery boy. But, things have been difficult due to the shortage of fuel," said Anadi Sahu, a gig worker.

App cab drivers also complained of losses because of long hours of waiting at fuel pumps.

Meanwhile, officials said long queues at fuel stations across Bhubaneswar and other districts over the past three days were due to temporary logistical issues, with efforts underway to restore normal supply.

A senior official of the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department said the disruption was temporary and supply chains were being restored.

"There were some issues in the supply chain, but we are optimistic that the situation will become normal by Monday evening as oil marketing companies have started working even on holidays," the official said.

Indian Oil Corporation chief general manager Kamal Sheel said efforts were underway to streamline distribution.

"Our people are working even on holidays. The situation has improved in many parts of the state and will be normal in the rest of the state by Monday evening," he said.

Sheel added that the state requires around 44.7 lakh litres of petrol and 1.12 crore litres of diesel daily, and arrangements were in place to supply fuel to all 2,800 petrol pumps.

However, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister K C Patra termed the situation "artificial", claiming there was no shortage of fuel.

"Odisha does not have any shortage of petrol, diesel or gas. People misunderstood a message about reducing fuel usage and started panic buying," he said.

He added that the state currently had 13 days of fuel stock and supplies from the Paradip refinery, urging citizens not to panic.

"As people indulge in panic buying and storing fuel, some issues are created. The state has 13 days' stock and also a refinery at Paradip. So, there is no need to panic, we have sufficient petrol and diesel," he said.

The Housing and Urban Development Department issued an advisory on fuel conservation, suggesting measures such as vehicle pooling and ride-sharing to reduce consumption and improve efficiency.

The department's additional chief secretary, Usha Padhee, requested field officials to opt for vehicle pooling or ride-sharing wherever feasible.