Amaravati, April 26: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed district collectors to implement an immediate action plan to resolve the fuel shortage affecting the state.
In response to reports of petrol pumps closing due to a decrease in petrol and diesel supply and panic buying by the public, the Chief Minister called for an urgent action plan. He requested immediate reports on the measures taken by various departments to address the issue.
To assess the situation, the Chief Minister held a teleconference with Chief Secretary G. Sai Prasad and senior officials.
Officials informed the Chief Minister that out of a total of 4,510 fuel outlets in the state, approximately 421 petrol pumps have shut down. They reported that on Saturday, dealers received 10,345 kiloliters of petrol and 14,156 kiloliters of diesel. However, panic buying led to heavy crowds at several outlets.
Typically, the state sells an average of 6,330 kiloliters of petrol and 9,048 kiloliters of diesel daily. Due to public concern over the fuel shortage, there has been a significant spike in purchases. On Saturday alone, petrol sales reached 8,489 kiloliters, while diesel sales hit 10,556 kiloliters.
Officials noted that this sudden increase in sales has rapidly depleted stocks at many petrol pumps. Despite efforts to boost supply, long queues have formed at petrol stations due to panic buying. They also reported that bulk purchases by the water sector are putting additional pressure on supply.
Reacting to the current situation at petrol pumps, the Chief Minister instructed officials to implement a plan to resolve the issue and submit a report by this evening.
Meanwhile, Civil Supplies Minister N. Manohar clarified that there is no actual shortage of petrol and diesel in the state. He stated that some pumps had closed due to supply issues. The minister warned that strict action would be taken against those involved in black marketing.
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