Bhubaneswar: Opposition BJD and Congress on Friday attacked the BJP government in Odisha over long queues and panic buying at petrol pumps across the state, while the government maintained there was no fuel shortage and urged people not to stockpile fuel.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das alleged that the situation reflected the “complete failure” of the BJP government.
“Long queues, ‘No Stock’ boards and rising fuel prices across Odisha have exposed the complete failure of the BJP government. If everything was under control, what happened to the Prime Minister’s assurances before the elections?” Das said in a post on X.
BJD leader and MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain also blamed the BJP government, alleging that the situation had arisen due to “flawed economic policies”.
Amid the rush at fuel stations, Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra appealed to people not to indulge in panic buying, asserting that adequate petrol and diesel stock was available in the state for the next 13 days.
The minister said daily fuel demand in Odisha had risen by nearly 50 per cent over the past two to three days following rumours of a possible disruption in supply.
“Odisha is the state from where fuel is supplied to Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh. When there is no scarcity in those states, how can Odisha face a shortage? Fuel scarcity is only a rumour,” Patra said.
