No fuel shortage in J&K: CM Omar Abdullah warns against panic buying
Srinagar, March 27
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday urged people to stop panic buying fuel amid long queues at petrol pumps across the Union Territory.
Speaking to reporters, Abdullah warned that strict action could be taken if the situation does not improve. "My earnest request to people is that they stop camping outside petrol pumps, otherwise I will shut all the petrol pumps for the next few days," he said.
He stressed that there is no shortage of essential fuel supplies and blamed rumours for the panic. "It's regrettable that when the government speaks, no one listens, but everyone believes the rumours. In a review meeting the other day, it was duly decided that there is currently no shortage of anything--be it diesel, petrol, or LPG cylinders--and even after a couple of days, the situation hasn't changed. Nowhere has there been any directive to reduce usage," he added.
Appealing to the public to remain calm, Abdullah said, "I appeal to those people who are lining up based on social media rumours: please don't do that. There is a meeting of all CMs with PM Modi tomorrow online, and I will attend that."
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has said that India's petroleum and LPG supply situation is fully secure and under control.
All retail fuel outlets have enough supplies, and there is no shortage of petrol, diesel, or LPG anywhere in the country, the Ministry said in a release.
The Ministry called upon citizens not to be misled by a deliberately mischievous, coordinated campaign of misinformation that is being carried out to spread unjustified panic. It said that because India is a net exporter to the world, domestic petrol and diesel availability is structurally assured.
— ANI
Reader Comments
While I understand the need to calm people, the threat to shut all petrol pumps seems a bit extreme. It could backfire and cause more panic. The government should focus on countering the rumours more effectively on the same social media platforms.
Living in Srinagar, I saw the long queues yesterday. It's true, people just start believing the worst. The Ministry has clarified there's no shortage. We need to have more trust in our systems, especially in sensitive regions like J&K.
After the pandemic and past supply issues, it's natural for people to be anxious. The government's message is clear, but maybe they need to do more than just issue statements. Show us the stocks, do live updates from depots to build confidence.
Good move by the CM. Sometimes a strong warning is the only language people understand. Hope the meeting with PM Modi addresses these rumour-mongering issues nationwide. We are a net exporter, there's no logic to this panic.
It's sad to see this happen. My relatives in Jammu were worried too. The comment about people not listening to the government but believing rumours hits hard. We really need better digital literacy in our country.
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