petrol-diesel
New news has come to light regarding issuance of new rules for purchasing petrol and diesel in Kerala. According to media reports, some restrictions have been imposed on fuel outlets in Kerala for allegedly selling fuel in bulk. Under this, customers will be able to purchase a maximum of 200 liters of diesel, and the limit for purchase of petrol has been fixed at around Rs 5,000 per person. According to the report, this step has been taken as part of supply management measures. Its objective is to ensure continuous availability of fuel at retail outlets and to prevent sudden stock out during peak demand times. It is being said that oil marketing companies are now supplying fuel to the stations as per short-term demand instead of long supply window. According to media reports, the pumps are currently getting enough stock only for a few days at a time.
That’s why a decision had to be taken
According to the report of Mathrubhumi, a Malayalam media organisation, the working conditions at fuel stations have become even more difficult due to the implementation of the condition of advance payment and the end of the credit-based supply system. There are about 2,500 petrol pumps in Kerala, many of which depend on regular tanker deliveries of 12,000 to 24,000 litres. According to the report of Mathrubhumi.com, there is a lot of variation in daily sales. Up to 10,000 liters of diesel is reportedly sold daily at urban pumps, while the volume sold at smaller outlets is much less. Operators say that these new limits have been set to prevent sudden stock out during times of high demand.
Restrictions are not a sign of fuel shortage
Fuel distributors have clarified that there is no formal shortage in the supply of fuel to the pumps at the countrywide level. According to the report of Mathrubhumi.com, he also said that due to delays in logistics, there may be some interruption in supplies. Representatives of Kerala State Petroleum Traders Association said that these restrictions are not a sign of fuel shortage, but their purpose is to ensure continuous availability of fuel. The Central Government has said that India currently has sufficient energy reserves. These include the stock of crude oil and natural gas for about two months, and the supply of LPG for about one and a half months.
Increase in crude oil prices
Oil marketing companies are reportedly facing financial pressure due to rising global crude oil prices. It is estimated that they are incurring a loss of thousands of crores of rupees every day. Even though officials have stressed that this is not a fuel shortage situation, it is expected that these temporary limits will impact bulk buyers and logistics operators more than ordinary consumers. According to Mathrubhumi.com report, the main objective of these measures is to stabilize the distribution and prevent imbalance in the stock at local pumps.
Petrol and diesel prices in Kerala
The prices of petrol and diesel are very high in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala. According to IOCL data, the price of petrol in Kerala on May 13 is Rs 107.48 per liter. Which can be said to be the highest in South India. Whereas in Chennai, one of the metropolitan cities of the country, the price of petrol is seen at Rs 100.80 per liter. If we talk about diesel, it is seen more in Thiruvananthapuram than Chennai. Where the price of diesel in the capital of Kerala is Rs 96.48 per liter. On the other hand, the price in Chennai is Rs 92.39 per liter.
