Gandhinagar – In a high-level joint press conference held on March 23, 2026, senior state officials and oil industry leaders moved to quell rising public anxiety regarding a perceived fuel crisis in Gujarat. Additional Chief Secretary Smt. Mona Khandhar, alongside top representatives from the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and the Petroleum Dealers Association, categorically stated that there is no shortage of petrol or diesel in the state.

Addressing the long queues observed at petrol pumps in Ahmedabad and other major cities, Smt. Mona Khandhar assured citizens that every petrol pump in Gujarat has adequate stock. She emphasized that the state maintains a “sufficient buffer stock” and that fuel is available in the required quantities whenever needed. “No citizen needs to panic or form unnecessary lines outside petrol pumps,” she stated, adding that the state government is closely monitoring the situation.

Sanjiv Behera, Executive Director and State Head of IOC and the State Level Coordinator for the oil industry in Gujarat, echoed these sentiments. He confirmed that not only are the retail outlets well-stocked, but the depots and terminals also hold significant inventory.

In response to unverified reports of some outlets closing down, Behera issued a stern warning:

• Verification: Authorities are currently verifying reports of outlets that have supposedly stopped sales.
• Strict Action: If it is found that a dealer has closed an outlet despite having inventory, causing public inconvenience, “strict action” will be taken against them for violating industry rules and regulations.

The President of the Petroleum Dealers Association of India, also present at the briefing, clarified that the current panic is driven entirely by rumors. He highlighted that all three major oil companies are providing ample supply and have even extended their operational hours for supply distribution—moving beyond the standard 5:00 PM cutoff—to ensure that the surge in demand is met.

The panel collectively urged the public to refrain from spreading inflammatory messages on social media or forwarding unverified news that incites panic. Smt. Khandhar concluded the conference by reiterating that all Oil Marketing Company (OMC) outlets are prepared to provide fuel to vehicles as per their regular needs and that citizens should not let rumors dictate their refueling habits.

Closure of Few Petrol Pumps Unverified 

Regarding petrol pumps that allegedly stopped selling fuel, officials stated that reports of such closures were unverified at the time of the press conference
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Key points made regarding these outlets include:

Investigation and Verification: Sanjiv Behera, the State Head of Indian Oil Corporation, noted that while some media reports suggested certain outlets had closed, these claims were not yet confirmed, and authorities would be verifying them immediately.
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Consequences for Withholding Stock: If an investigation reveals that a dealer stopped sales despite having inventory in stock, thereby causing public inconvenience and violating industry rules and regulations, officials promised that “definite action” and “strict action” would be taken against them. DeshGujarat