3 min readMay 14, 2026 06:17 PM IST
Several fuel stations across Odisha saw long queues and panic buying of petrol and diesel over the last three to four days, leading to some running out of stock. The state government has maintained that there is no shortage of fuel and appealed to the public to refrain from panic buying.
In Bhubaneswar, some stations put up barricades after they ran out of fuel. Some others capped fuel sales to Rs 200-worth to two-wheelers and Rs 1,000 to four-wheelers.
The government said there was no need to panic and that there was no shortage of fuel. “As less than 1% of fuel stations in Odisha have faced a temporary shortage of petrol and diesel, it would not be appropriate to say there is a crisis,” said Sanjay Singh, Secretary, Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department.
Singh said the state government has been in constant touch with oil marketing companies (OMCs) and is keeping a close watch on the situation. Crisis management groups have also been formed at the district level to tackle the energy crisis.
Workers at fuel stations reported long queues. “While it takes hardly five minutes to refuel a vehicle, people now have to wait for at least half an hour because of the long queues. Some even argue when we tell them about the rationing,” said Satrughna Sahoo, who works at a fuel station in the state capital.
The petroleum dealers’ association said panic-driven purchases by the customers have led to the situation, even though there has been no shortage of fuel in Odisha.
“When the Prime Minister appealed to the people to judiciously use petrol and diesel, many thought there might be a crisis and began panic buying. There has been a 50% hike in the sale of petrol and diesel across Odisha in the past three days. Where there is panic buying, it impacts the fuel supply chain,” said Sanjay Lath, general secretary, Utkal Petroleum Dealers Association.
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Lath said that when some fuel stations run out of stock due to sudden panic buying, it triggers further concerns among customers about a perceived fuel crisis, leading to more panic buying.
“While the OMCs used to tell the dealers to maintain a stock for three to four days in the underground tanks at the fuel stations, recently, they have been told to maintain the stock for two days only. The customers suffer because of such an artificial shortage. The OMCs and the government must find a way out to deal with the situation,” said Lath.
The dealers’ association also demanded that OMCs must ensure adequate supply of petrol and diesel to fuel stations across the state, especially in rural areas.
According to official sources, Odisha requires nearly 45 lakh litres of petrol and more than 1 crore litres of diesel every day, while the state has a minimum stock for nearly 15 days.
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Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has reduced his convoy size by half, following the PM’s appeal to conserve fuel. Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg said some more decisions will be taken by the government in a day or two regarding measures to save fuel.
