West Asia tensions stoke fuel & export fears in Assam

Guwahati: The West Asia crisis has fuelled concerns over energy supplies and exports in poll-bound Assam, even as the state government maintained there is no shortage of petrol, diesel or LPG.

Disruptions linked to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have entered political discourse, with opposition parties flagging long queues at gas agencies and petrol pumps as an election issue.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said there was no shortage of fuel and urged people to avoid panic buying.


State chief secretary Ravi Kota said in a post on X that supplies remain adequate, supported by output from four refineries-Numaligarh, Noonmati, Digboi and Bongaigaon-which exceed local demand. "In Assam, the availability of petrol and diesel is quite surplus: Out of total petrol and diesel produced in four refineries in Assam, the state consumes only 27%. In other words, there is a surplus of 73%," he said in the post.

He added there were no anticipated bottlenecks in fuel movement and warned that panic buying could create temporary shortages.