Odisha Minister assures public amid fuel panic, says state has stock

Odisha Minister Krushna Chandra Patra has reassured the public that there is no shortage of fuel in the state. He clarified that PM Modi's appeal to conserve fuel was misunderstood, leading to panic buying at petrol pumps.

Amid the West Asia crisis, Odisha Minister Krushna Chandra Patra reassured the public that there is no shortage of fuel such as petrol and diesel in the State and there is "no need to panic".

"We do not have any shortage of petrol, diesel or gas in Odisha... PM Narendra Modi has appealed to reduce the usage of petrol and diesel as we import them. This was taken the wrong way by the public, and they panicked. As a result, there were long lines at petrol pumps... We have 13 days' stock in Odisha and also a refinery, such as Paradip. So, there is no need to panic, we have sufficient petrol and diesel...", he told ANI on Friday.

Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has downsized his official convoy by nearly half as a symbolic measure to promote fuel conservation amid the ongoing fuel crisis linked to the West Asia crisis.

Centre Hikes Fuel Prices Amid West Asia Tensions

Earlier, the Centre hiked prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 3 per litre as the Brent crude price hovers above USD 100 per barrel amid the West Asia crisis.

Following the Rs 3 hike, petrol prices in New Delhi rose from Rs 94.77 to Rs 97.77 per litre, while diesel prices increased from Rs 87.67 to Rs 90.67 per litre.

The fuel price revision comes amid growing concerns over global energy supplies due to tensions in West Asia and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime trade route for crude oil transportation.

PM Modi's Appeal for Conservation

On Sunday, PM Modi urged citizens to prioritise work from home, cut fuel consumption, avoid foreign travel for a year, adopt Swadeshi products, reduce cooking oil use, shift to natural farming and curb gold purchases, while addressing a gathering.

To combat the volatility of fuel prices, PM Modi urged a shift in how India moves. He requested citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption by using the metro and public transport wherever available, opting for carpooling when private vehicles are necessary, preferring railway transport for the movement of goods, and increasing the use of electric vehicles wherever possible.

Leaders Downsize Convoys in Solidarity

Meanwhile, Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and JP Nadda have reduced the size of their convoys.

Chief Ministers of several states, including Rekha Gupta, Yogi Adityanath, Mohan Yadav, Bhajanlal Sharma, Devendra Fadnavis and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, have also downsized their convoys.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)