No fuel shortage, public need not worry, says district collector

Kochi: District collector G Priyanka clarified that there is no shortage of petrol or diesel in the district and urged the public not to panic. Speaking at a news conference following an emergency meeting convened under her chairmanship on Tuesday, the collector said the current temporary disruption was caused by misunderstandings regarding new safety regulations introduced by central govt.

The meeting was called after complaints were received from bakery and hotel associations, owners of JCB and Hitachi machines in the small-scale construction sector, hospital representatives, and fisheries boat owners regarding the non-availability of diesel in cans. According to an order issued by Centre on June 11, restrictions apply only to bulk consumers purchasing more than 200 litres of fuel from retail outlets.

Priyanka clarified that there are no restrictions on individuals, vehicle owners or small-scale users purchasing up to 200 litres of fuel per day. As part of enhanced safety measures, fuel can now be supplied only in special containers approved by Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO). While this requirement existed earlier, the new order has made compliance mandatory. The use of plastic bottles or ordinary cans for transporting fuel is prohibited due to safety concerns.

To address the current shortage of approved containers, oil companies have been asked to make them available at petrol pumps. The collector expressed confidence that the availability of these containers would improve within the next three to four days, allowing fuel distribution to return to normal. She also urged the public not to be misled by false rumours or misinformation regarding fuel availability.