Hyderabad, April 27 (RAHNUMA): It is a well-known fact that, against the backdrop of tensions in West Asia, a shortage in oil and gas supplies is intensifying day by day in AP and Telangana the states .
In Andhra Pradesh, the petrol pumps in several regions have already shut down due to the scarcity of the petrol and diesel. “No Stock” boards are now a common sight at the pumps across various areas. In some locations, where petrol and diesel remain available, motorists are queuing up in lines stretching for kilometers. The shortage of petrol and diesel has become a severe issue not only in Andhra Pradesh but also in Telangana. In Hyderabad, while several petrol pumps have closed down, others are displaying “No Stock” notices. A similar situation prevails across various districts of the state. However, extensive discussions are currently underway regarding the root causes of such a severe shortage: What factors are driving this scarcity? Are the petrol pump owners deliberately manufacturing this shortage? Amidst these discussions, some interesting details are coming to light.
According to details provided by officials, it appears that the actual shortage of the petrol and diesel in the Telugu-speaking states is not as severe as it seems. Driven by false rumors circulating on social media—claiming that the petrol and diesel are unavailable and that the crisis will worsen in the coming days—the motorists are rushing to the petrol pumps in large numbers to get their fuel tanks filled to capacity. Consequently, sales tripled within just two days, leading to the temporary depletion of stocks at the fuel stations. Reports indicate that this surge in demand has resulted in a shortage of the petrol and diesel.
Assembly elections are currently underway in five states across the country. The second phase of polling in West Bengal is scheduled to conclude on the 29th of this month. With this, the polling process related to the elections will come to an end. The results for all the five states are set to be announced on May 4th. Reports are emerging that the Central Government is preparing to implement a significant hike in petrol and diesel prices either on the evening of the 29th or during the first week of May. There are allegations that the fuel companies are withholding full stock deliveries in anticipation of these price hikes. The Motorists are expressing suspicions that the companies are hoarding the stock with the intention of selling it off once the rates have increased.
Meanwhile, it appears that the companies that typically purchase the diesel commercially are now buying it from the retail petrol pumps due to insufficient stock availability in the commercial supply chain. This shift is reportedly leading to the shortages for regular retail consumers. The public anxiety regarding a potential fuel shortage—prompting people to purchase more petrol and diesel than immediately necessary—is also contributing to the current scarcity.
