Kashmir: Panic Buying Causes Petrol Pumps to Run Dry

Srinagar: Several petrol pumps in and around Srinagar on Friday ran dry after witnessing a huge rush from consumers in the wake of reports of fuel shortage, a claim that the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have refuted.

People across the valley have been lining up near filling stations for the past three days owing to what the authorities claimed were “rumours” regarding fuel scarcity. Many, however, complained of fuel shortage after filling and claimed their pumps have run out of petrol and are able to disburse only diesel.

Naseer Ahmad, a resident of Srinagar's Baghat, said he visited multiple petrol pumps today but was unable to refill his car. "I did not pay heed to the rumours of petrol shortage but saw a huge rush at a petrol station last night. It was late, and the queue was long, so I went back. Today, there is no petrol available," he said.

Due to the panic, trade leaders Sheikh Ashiq and Farooq Amin from the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCC&I) said they raised the issue with the divcom, who assured them that the people would not face any problems.

“He also said that by evening today, Hindustan Oil Corporation limited will also have sufficient stock of petrol and diesel and in future, there will not be price rise in fuel," KCCI spokesperson Farooq said.

The Jammu and Kashmir UT administration has been consistently ensuring people that there is no shortage. Terming these reports as ‘baseless’, the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir P K Pole on Thursday told a local news agency that there is “no need to panic.”

“People are not going to face any problem regarding the availability of fuel. I advise people to purchase petrol and diesel as per need and don't head to baseless rumours,” he said.

Residents in both urban and rural Kashmir, however, said they are facing huge inconvenience due to the continuous non-availability of fuel, following which officials from the consumer affairs department directed filling station owners not to issue fuel in cans or bottles.

Earlier, the oil companies, including Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), rejected reports of the fuel crisis, urging people to avoid panic buying.

“HPCL is meeting the ever-growing fuel demands of the Country and assures & ensures availability of products across our supply chain. Our esteemed customers need not panic. We stand committed to uninterrupted supply of auto fuels in the markets, where we have our footprint," Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) said in a tweet earlier.

The J&K union territory witnessed panic buying only after reports of acute fuel shortage surfaced in various parts of the country, including in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Haryana, which many believed were likely due to Oil Manufacturing Companies (OMC’s) suffering from under-recoveries.

Bilal Ahmad Bhat from the Kashmir Valley Petroleum Dealers Association said that the dealers are facing hiccups due to instructions of rationing fuel from at least two OMCs. "There is a shortage of fuel in other states, and it is impacting supply in Kashmir as well. But, the supply from at least Indian Oil Corporation is not hindered," Bhat said.

Another petrol pump owner from the city outskirts said that they were not able to pay OMCs due to a technical snag in the payment gateway of Jammu and Kashmir Bank.

“We are not able to transfer funds, and companies do not allow oil on credit. As soon as the system works, the problem will not persist longer," he said.