Marathwada sees massive fuel queues amid West Asia crisis, petrol dealers say no fuel shortage 

”We have no clue why there was panic buying in Marathwada districts. I will be personally visiting Marathwada to take stock of the situation. People in the region should not resort to panic buying. We have enough stock to last for the next couple of months,” Daruwalla said.

Daruwalla said Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday has already clarified that the country has sufficient oil stocks to deal with the emerging situation.

“The minister has clarified that the country has enough oil reserves to deal with any eventuality. The minister has said that the country is well stocked with crude oil and inventories of key petroleum products, including petrol, diesel, and aviation turbine fuel to face any possible disruptions arising out of the Middle East conflict,” he said.

Daruwalla said the Union Petroleum Ministry has also set up a control room to monitor the situation 24X7 and take stock of the availability of petroleum products.

Daruwalla said even Russia has stepped forward and offered help to India in case there is a shortage of fuel.

The ongoing conflict in West Asia, which began on Saturday, with Israel and the US hitting Iran with military strikes and Tehran retaliating by striking neighouring countries that house American military assets, has effectively halted shipments through the Strait of Hormuz from where a bulk of India’s oil and gas supplies transit.