New Delhi : Long queues and “No Fuel” boards at several petrol pumps across India as fears over rising global crude oil prices and tensions in West Asia spread rapidly among consumers and fuel retailers. Reports indicated that petrol and diesel prices in India could be heading for increases soon due to surging crude oil prices, mounting pressure on oil marketing companies (OMCs), government finances and India’s import bill amid escalating tensions in West Asia.
According to a India Today ground report spanning 15 petrol pumps from Delhi-NCR and Uttar Pradesh to Gujarat, Odisha and Bihar, reporters found visible signs of panic buying amid speculation that fuel prices could rise by Rs 5 to Rs 20 per litre from May 15, with many stations witnessing unusually high footfall and customers opting for full-tank refills fearing an imminent price increase.
In Delhi, public opinion remained divided over the possible fuel price increase. Neeraj Jain, a commuter, said the country’s economy should remain strong and argued that a moderate increase in fuel prices would be acceptable if it served national interest. In Rajasthan’s Alwar, petrol pump operators reported irregular fuel supplies and said several rural fuel stations had already put up “No Petrol” and “No Diesel” boards.
In Gurugram, Petrol Pump Association president Manish Yadav warned that petrol prices could rise by Rs 15 to Rs 20 per litre and diesel by Rs 10 to Rs 15 due to mounting losses faced by oil companies. He said companies were unlikely to pass the full burden on consumers at once and may instead raise prices gradually.
In Patna, consumers said they would continue buying fuel out of necessity even if prices increased, but demanded uninterrupted supply. Working professionals expressed concern that higher fuel costs would severely affect middle-class households, transport and business activity. In Noida, petrol pump operator Akshay Dhama said there was currently no disruption in supply and that operations remained normal despite the rumours.
In Faridabad, petrol pump manager Tarakant Mandal said crude oil prices were rising continuously, and the government had so far been providing subsidies while also appealing for lower fuel consumption, indicating that losses were mounting. People echoed concerns over inflationary pressure. One of the customers at the fuel station, Rohit, said petrol and diesel prices could rise by Rs 5 to Rs 10 per litre, forcing people to cut down on travelling and riding. Another customer, Taranjyot Singh, warned that higher fuel prices would directly increase transportation costs.
At a Bharat Petroleum pump in Surat, long queues of vehicles lined up as customers rushed to refill tanks. A bike rider named Sabir said he expected petrol and diesel prices to rise by around Rs 10 per litre. In Gujarat’s Mahisagar district, “No Stock” boards appeared at several petrol pumps as customers struggled to procure fuel
In Varanasi, petrol pump manager Ashish Patel said prices had not increased yet but added that a hike in the near future remained possible. He also suggested that reduced fuel consumption by the public could help avoid price increases.
Kanpur witnessed heavy crowds at petrol stations as consumers rushed to fill full tanks amid fears that fuel prices could rise by Rs 10 to Rs 12 per litre. Some residents even speculated that prices could touch Rs 150 per litre if the global conflict situation worsened. At Bhubaneswar, a petrol pump manager dismissed the speculation as rumours and said there had been no official communication regarding a price hike.
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