MP News: Fuel Supply Stabilises In State After Panic Buying; Three-Day Credit Facility For Petrol Pumps To Resume

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, panic buying continued to impact petrol pumps across Madhya Pradesh for the third consecutive day.

On Thursday, long queues were seen at fuel stations from early morning, however, the rush eased in the afternoon as supply stabilised and administrative measures took effect.

Rumours of a fuel shortage had triggered the surge, prompting people to rush to pumps to fill their tanks. The administration deployed police personnel in several districts to maintain order, while officials continued inspections and monitoring of stock levels.

In Barwani, the district supply officer directed petrol pumps to stop dispensing fuel in gallons or drums to prevent artificial shortages. Similarly, in Raisen, authorities imposed limits on fuel sales to control the situation. A maximum of 50 litres of petrol and 200 litres of diesel is being provided per person to prevent hoarding and ensure equitable distribution.

Meanwhile, the Petroleum Ministry has directed oil companies to resume credit facilities that were earlier available. Petrol pumps will now receive fuel supply on a three-day credit cycle again.

Petrol Dealers Association president Ajay Singh said the facility had been discontinued from March 5, but orders to restart it were issued on Thursday and are expected to be fully implemented by Friday. He added that private companies such as Nayara have already increased fuel prices, and other private players may follow suit in the next two to three days. However, he said government-run Maharatna and Navratna oil companies are unlikely to raise prices, offering some relief to consumers.

SOP issued to curb hoarding, misinformation

In Bhopal, district authorities have issued a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) under the Essential Commodities Act. To curb misinformation, the district public relations officer will release daily bulletins on fuel availability in coordination with oil marketing companies. A dedicated social media monitoring cell comprising police cyber teams and the PRO department will maintain round-the-clock surveillance.

Additionally, enforcement teams led by SDMs, police officials and supply officers will conduct regular field visits to prevent hoarding or overpricing at petrol pumps. Any violation may lead to immediate cancellation of licences.

Dozen petrol pumps run dry in Bhopal

Fuel consumption across state surged three to four times the normal rate on Thursday, leading to shortages at several petrol pumps in Bhopal. Nearly a dozen pumps ran dry, though new stock started arriving by late evening.

At the HP and Bharat Petroleum pumps near Savarkar Setu on Hoshangabad Road, both petrol and diesel were unavailable, causing inconvenience to commuters. Fuel also ran out at Prabhat Petrol Pump, where staff confirmed a tanker was en route.