Guwahati, March 26: The Office of the Chief Secretary, Assam, has dismissed concerns over any shortage of petrol and diesel, stating that supplies remain stable across the state and production continues to exceed demand.
In a social media post, the Chief Secretary’s Office said there is no shortage of fuel in the market, echoing assurances issued by the Union government. A spokesperson of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas had also clarified the situation during a media interaction a day earlier.
Officials highlighted that Assam’s strong refining capacity ensures steady availability of fuel. Output from key refineries — Numaligarh Refinery, Noonmati Refinery, Digboi Refinery and Bongaigaon Refinery — significantly exceeds local demand, maintaining consistent supply across districts.
“There are no anticipated bottlenecks in the supply chain, including the movement of fuel from refineries to retail outlets,” the statement said, urging consumers to refrain from panic buying. It cautioned that unusual demand could create artificial and temporary shortages at certain outlets, potentially disrupting distribution.
A joint team comprising officials from the Food and Civil Supplies Department, Indian Oil Corporation Limited and the district administration is scheduled to brief the media later in the day at the DC Office (Metro) to provide further clarity on supply and logistics.
At the national level, Sujata Sharma stated that India has the capacity to refine approximately 26 crore tonnes of crude oil annually. Addressing reports of queues at petrol pumps in some areas, she attributed them to panic buying and reiterated that there is sufficient availability of petrol and diesel across the country. She also confirmed that there has been no increase in fuel prices.
Authorities have appealed for public cooperation, stressing that normal purchasing behaviour will help maintain a smooth and uninterrupted fuel supply across Assam.
