Alleged ‘Man-Made’ fuel Scarcity in Odisha Ends After Government Intervention

Bhubaneswar: The alleged man-made fuel scarcity that triggered widespread inconvenience across Odisha over the past four days came to an end on Sunday after the State government stepped in with emergency monitoring and coordination measures led by food supplies and consumer welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra.

The disruption, which had led to long queues at petrol pumps, panic buying, transport difficulties and partial disruption of agricultural and fishing activities, had sparked concern among citizens and businesses alike. Although there was no official shortage of fuel stocks, rumours regarding possible disruptions in crude oil supplies from Gulf countries triggered panic purchasing of petrol and diesel in several districts, creating what officials described as an “artificial scarcity”.

On Saturday night, Patra held a high-level meeting with senior officials of oil marketing companies and reviewed the supply situation across the state. The minister sought a detailed explanation for the sudden scarcity being experienced at filling stations in multiple districts, including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Sambalpur, Balasore and Berhampur.

According to the minister, officials informed him that panic buying by consumers had severely strained the normal supply chain and led to temporary depletion of fuel stocks at many retail outlets.

“Despite repeated assurances from the government and oil companies about uninterrupted availability of petrol and diesel, rumours spread rapidly that fuel imports from Gulf nations had been affected due to the ongoing geopolitical tensions. This led people to rush to filling stations and purchase fuel in excess quantities,” Patra said.

“As a result, many petrol pumps ran dry temporarily. However, the situation has now stabilised and supplies are being restored across Odisha,” he added.

The fuel scarcity had caused significant hardship for ordinary citizens over the past several days. Hundreds of motorists were seen waiting for hours outside fuel stations, with serpentine queues stretching onto highways and urban roads. Several filling stations either shut operations temporarily or restricted fuel sales due to dwindling stocks.

Public transport services in some areas were affected as private bus operators and commercial vehicle owners struggled to secure diesel supplies. App-based cab drivers and auto-rickshaw operators reported sharp losses as they spent long hours waiting at fuel stations instead of operating vehicles.

The scarcity also disrupted agricultural activities in rural Odisha at a crucial stage of farming operations. Farmers in several districts complained that they were unable to operate tractors, power tillers and irrigation pump sets because of non-availability of diesel. In western Odisha districts, many cultivators feared delays in preparatory agricultural work if the situation had continued for a few more days.

The fishing sector too experienced temporary disruption. Fisherfolk operating trawlers in the Bay of Bengal reportedly anchored their vessels due to lack of diesel availability. Deep-sea fishing activities were particularly affected in coastal districts such as Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Ganjam, causing anxiety among fishing communities dependent on daily marine catch for their livelihood.

Industrial transport and goods movement also witnessed partial disruption as transporters became cautious about fuel availability. In several towns, panic buying extended beyond commercial requirements, with many consumers storing additional fuel in containers fearing prolonged shortages.