Gandhinagar, March 24 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Tuesday said there was no shortage of petrol and diesel in the state and urged citizens not to queue up at fuel stations, a day after widespread panic buying triggered long lines across several cities.

Addressing a programme in Gandhinagar where he launched the ‘Sugam Digital Gujarat’ initiative, Patel said adequate fuel stocks were available and appealed for calm. “Adequate stock of petrol and diesel is available in the state,” he said, urging people not to be misled by rumours or panic.

He added that despite the global situation, supply remained sufficient and there was “no need to form unnecessary queues”, assuring that “everyone will get as per their requirement”.

The Chief Minister said both the Centre and the State were working to ensure an uninterrupted supply of cooking gas.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said: “Efforts were being made to ensure that citizens do not face any difficulty, while the state government was maintaining adequate distribution.”

His remarks came after long queues at petrol pumps in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot were witnessed on Monday.

In some places, waiting times stretched for hours and traffic congestion was reported, although authorities maintained that supply remained normal.

The rush was attributed to panic buying following misinformation and temporary disruptions at a few outlets, including issues linked to changes in payment systems for dealers and delays in tanker deliveries.

Government and industry officials reiterated that there was no actual shortage and that supply chains were functioning normally.

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi had also appealed to citizens to remain calm, stating that sufficient quantities of petrol and diesel were available. “Citizens do not need to panic over rumours. There is no need to hoard fuel,” he said, adding that the Chief Minister was reviewing the situation regularly to ensure smooth supply.

Officials said continuous monitoring was in place to ensure that all petrol pumps receive fuel regularly and that any technical or logistical issues would be resolved promptly.

Authorities also warned against spreading misinformation and urged the public to rely on official communication as the situation stabilises.

–IANS

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