A sudden hike in fuel prices triggered panic buying and massive crowds at petrol pumps across Odisha, with long queues of vehicles witnessed throughout the night in Bhubaneswar and several other parts of the state.

Petrol and diesel prices were increased by Rs 3 per litre each, while CNG prices went up by Rs 2. Following the revision, petrol prices crossed Rs 104 per litre in Bhubaneswar, while diesel prices crossed Rs 95 per litre.

Odisha government assured earlier that there was no shortage of fuel and no need for panic buying.

However, the situation on the ground presented a different picture. Thousands of commuters are continuing to queue outside petrol pumps across Bhubaneswar and other parts of Odisha amid fears over fuel availability and rising prices.

Long Queues Continue Through Night

Huge crowds of bikes, cars and scooters were seen lined up outside fuel stations in Bhubaneswar till late night on Thursday.

At the Bharat Petroleum petrol pump in Chandrasekharpur, hundreds of vehicles queued up, with the line extending several hundred metres onto the main road. Even after midnight, people continued waiting for hours to refill fuel.

Reports said a cap of Rs 200 worth of petrol per vehicle was imposed at the pump amid the rush.

The situation at Rasulgarh was reportedly more severe after some fuel stations operating during the night closed temporarily, forcing people to remain in queues till morning.

Auto-rickshaw drivers and persons associated with online bike taxi services were among the worst affected due to the uncertainty surrounding fuel availability.

Govt Assures Adequate Fuel Availability

The Odisha government maintained that sufficient fuel stock was available and appealed to people not to resort to panic buying.

However, rumours regarding fuel depletion and the temporary closure of some petrol pumps reportedly intensified public concern across several districts.

One person waiting in queue said, “I first went to the petrol pump near Nandankanan, but a similar situation prevailed there with hundreds of people standing in line. Finally, I came here and have been waiting for the last three hours. It may take another two to three hours for my turn.”

Another commuter said, “I have already waited for four hours and may need to wait another three hours. One of my friends even took one litre of petrol from my bike tank for an emergency.”

Many commuters stated that their vehicles were already running on reserve fuel, increasing anxiety over further delays.

Fuel Prices Rise Across Major Cities

Fuel prices also increased in several major cities across the country.

In Delhi, petrol prices increased from Rs 94 per litre to Rs 97 per litre, while diesel prices crossed Rs 90 per litre.

Petrol prices reached Rs 108.74 per litre in Kolkata, Rs 106.68 in Mumbai and Rs 103.67 in Chennai.

Similarly, diesel prices rose to Rs 95.13 per litre in Kolkata, Rs 93.14 in Mumbai and Rs 95.25 in Chennai.