Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel writes to Centre on fuel shortage in state

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has written to the Centre and red-flagged the fuel shortage in the state and its adverse impact on ambulance services and agricultural activities.

Baghel on Sunday wrote to Union petroleum minister Hardeep Puri apprising him of depleting buffer stock at petrol pumps. "Since the last couple of months, there has been a shortage in supply of petrol and diesel to the state, as a result of which several petrol pumps have been running dry. This is adversely affecting essential services like ambulance service. Since Chhattisgarh is an agrarian state and with the onset of monsoon, farming activities start here. But due to the unavailability of diesel in sufficient quantity, farmers are facing trouble to carry out work through tractors. In a letter to the Union minister, I have urged him to address the issue and ensure sufficient supply of fuel to the state," said Baghel.

According to the Chhattisgarh Petroleum Dealers Welfare Association, the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has 750 retail outlets in the state, which have been forced to stop the sale due to the irregular supply of fuel, he said. "Further review of the issue revealed that earlier, petroleum depots used to have a buffer stock for 4-5 days, but now it has a buffer stock for only one day," he added. Due to the shortage of fuel, even necessary services like ambulances are getting affected, Baghel said.