Karnataka govt urges people to ignore rumours on petrol, diesel shortage

Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government on Wednesday urged people not to pay heed to rumours about petrol and diesel shortage or resort to panic buying amid reports of people queuing up at fuel stations in some parts of the state.

In a statement, the government said the Centre has clarified that there is ample stock of fuel available at retail outlets across the country.

"It has come to the attention of the government through various media reports that in certain parts of the state, people are queuing at petrol pumps with containers such as bottles and cans. This behaviour is driven by false rumours suggesting an impending shortage of petrol and diesel," it said.

The government strongly advised the public against transporting or storing fuel in loose or unsuitable containers, citing serious safety risks and fire hazards.

It has instructed retail outlets to supply fuel only directly into vehicle tanks and strictly prohibited petrol pumps from dispensing fuel in bottles, cans or any external containers.

Under existing laws, storage of fuel in bulk or in unauthorised containers is illegal, it said.

The government also assured that the fuel supply chain remains robust and there is no cause for concern, according to a press note.

Meanwhile, Hubballi Dharwad Police Commissioner N Sashikumar warned of strict legal action against those spreading rumours about fuel shortage in the city limits, assuring that there is sufficient supply.

The warning followed misinformation circulated on social media that triggered panic buying and long queues at fuel stations across the Hubballi-Dharwad police commissionerate limits on March 24.

"There was miscommunication and misrepresentation of facts by anonymous social media users, which led to confusion among the public and prompted many to purchase fuel in unusually large quantities," he told reporters here on Wednesday.

He said discussions were held with fuel companies, including Indian Oil Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, as well as local authorities, confirming that there is no shortage of petrol or diesel in the region.

"Whatever is being spread on social media is false. There is sufficient supply of petrol and diesel in the city limits," he said, urging people not to panic.

According to him, due to excessive demand on Tuesday, several fuel stations had temporarily exhausted their stocks after catering to a large number of vehicles.

To ensure smooth replenishment, police have relaxed time restrictions on the movement of petroleum transport vehicles, which were earlier imposed during specific hours for traffic and safety reasons. The relaxation will continue until further orders, he said.

He said large crowds, including hundreds of two-wheelers and several cars and heavy vehicles, were seen outside fuel stations following the rumours.

Sashikumar cautioned that storing fuel outside vehicle tanks at homes or other locations is illegal and poses serious fire hazards.

He added that the social media monitoring cell of the police is tracking those spreading misinformation and warned that cases would be registered if necessary.

The commissioner also noted that some videos and images circulating online were from unrelated periods, including the Covid-19 pandemic, and were being falsely presented as recent to create panic.

He appealed to the public not to be misled by such content and to rely only on official information.