Hyderabad: Civil Supplies and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the state had resolved recent fuel supply challenges and stabilised the availability of petroleum products and LPG.
He said a brief phase of panic buying of petrol, diesel and domestic LPG had caused temporary disruptions. However, he stated that the situation was now largely under control. Supply levels, he added, were aligning with demand in several regions.
The Minister made these remarks during a virtual meeting convened by the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas along with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. He said he had closely monitored the developments and received updates from distribution companies.
“I followed the present situation closely. Whatever are the issues in our cities, we’ll try and address them,” he said. He added that concerns related to urban supply would be reviewed further.
Fuel supply challenges addressed with coordinated response
Uttam Kumar Reddy said the government would take up any hurdles affecting the expansion of the Piped Natural Gas network with the Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. He noted that a meeting would be held to resolve such issues.
On the ground, he acknowledged a shortage of commercial LPG. However, he expressed confidence that the issue could be resolved if the Centre increased allocations to the state.
He also said certain procurement-related matters would be discussed separately with Union Minister Prahlad Joshi. These discussions, he noted, would help strengthen supply systems further.
Fuel supply challenges linked to panic buying and rumours
The Minister said rumours linked to geopolitical tensions in West Asia had triggered panic buying in mid-March. As a result, temporary shortages emerged in some areas.
In response, the state government conducted multiple reviews and acted against black marketing. He noted that domestic LPG supply, which accounted for the majority of consumption, remained largely stable. However, commercial LPG faced shortages.
The Centre organised the meeting as part of a coordinated effort to ensure uninterrupted civic services. It also aimed to accelerate the expansion of PNG networks in urban areas.
The state’s CGD operator, Bhagyanagar Gas, continued expanding CNG infrastructure in Hyderabad. Several stations were already operational, serving auto-rickshaws, taxis and private vehicles.
Union Ministers Manohar Lal Khattar, Hardeep Singh Puri and Prahlad Joshi participated in the meeting. Representatives from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation were among 14 civic bodies present.
Officials said the session focused on sensitising urban agencies to the importance of natural gas. It also reviewed steps to expand the network more rapidly across cities.