Surge in Petrol Sales in State Due to Social Media Panic

Over the weekend, the state witnessed a significant surge in petrol sales, with over 2,000 kilolitres more than the average being sold, officials confirmed. This spike was attributed to panic spread by certain social media posts regarding the escalating tensions in West Asia.

Chief Minister Takes Swift Action

Reacting promptly to the situation, the Chief Minister instructed district collectors to immediately roll out an action plan to address the issue and submit a comprehensive report by the evening detailing the measures taken.

Panic Buying Leads to Fuel Shortage Concerns

Amid alarming posts on social media predicting a potential fuel shortage due to the US-Iran conflict, thousands of people flocked to fuel stations across various locations, stockpiling more fuel than necessary, officials revealed.

While some fuel outlets closed temporarily to deter panic buying rather than due to actual stock shortages, several district collectors also issued directives to local petrol pumps to follow suit.

Chief Minister Takes Stock of the Situation

Chief Minister Naidu convened a teleconference with Chief Secretary G Sai Prasad and other senior officials to evaluate the situation. Reports indicated that out of the state's 4,510 fuel outlets, approximately 421 had been shut down.

On Saturday alone, a total of 10,345 kilolitres of petrol and 14,156 kilolitres of diesel were supplied to dealers, with a surge in sales leading to a heavy rush at various outlets. Under normal circumstances, the daily average sales stood at 6,330 kilolitres of petrol and 9,048 kilolitres of diesel.

Efforts to Address the Crisis

Despite efforts to ramp up supply, long queues persisted at petrol pumps due to panic-driven purchases. Officials highlighted that bulk purchases by the aqua sector in drums were further exacerbating the strain on supplies.

The Chief Minister urged officials to swiftly implement an action plan to alleviate the crisis and submit a detailed report. District authorities were instructed to monitor fuel station stocks and intervene if uecessary buying was observed.

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