Huge crowd gathered at petrol pumps in Andhra Pradesh, hundreds of pumps went dry, CM Naidu ordered investigation – ..

News India Live, Digital Desk:Due to acute shortage of petrol and diesel, an atmosphere of chaos has arisen in many districts of Andhra Pradesh. ‘No stock’ boards have been hung on hundreds of petrol pumps in the state, due to which drivers are facing a lot of problems. As soon as the news of this crisis spread, panic buying spread among the people and long queues were seen at the pumps which were open. Seeing the seriousness of the situation, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has given strict instructions to the officials to submit immediate report and restore supplies.

Rumors spoiled the game, looting continued till midnight

Rumors of petrol shortage and delays due to some technical reasons created a crisis in big cities of the state like Chittoor, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati. After news of stock out on social media, people took to the streets to fill the tanks of their vehicles. The situation became such that police had to be deployed at many petrol pumps to maintain law and order. Oil companies say that due to sudden increase in demand, pressure on the logistics chain has increased.

Action mode of CM Chandrababu Naidu

Taking cognizance of the matter, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has conducted an emergency review with representatives of the Civil Supplies Department and oil companies. CM Naidu has clarified that there is no actual shortage of fuel in the state, rather the crisis is due to disruption in the distribution system and panic buying. He has ordered the collectors to ensure that black marketing does not happen and oil tankers reach the affected areas as soon as possible.

Oil companies clarified: Where was the bottleneck in supply?

According to sources, the supply was affected in the last 24-48 hours due to changes in the schedule of tankers reaching petrol pumps from oil depots and some technical repair work. However, officials of Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) and Indian Oil (IOCL) have assured that additional stocks have been dispatched and the situation will be completely normal in the next few hours. The administration has appealed to the people not to pay attention to rumors and not to stock excessively.

Troubled public and opposition target

Meanwhile, opposition parties have accused the government of mismanagement. People standing at petrol pumps say that they are not getting oil even after waiting for hours, affecting their daily livelihood and essential services. Concerns are being raised especially regarding school buses and ambulance services. The government has assured that fuel is being provided to essential services on priority basis.