The media reports about the shortage of fuel at retail fuel stations in mid summer are a cause of concerns as the fuel demand rises due to the increasing inflow of tourists and increasing agriculture and horticulture activities in mid summer months in Kashmir valley. While the demand for fuel rises due to rise in the inflow of tourists triggering rise in the frequency of the operation of public transport services across Kashmir, the rise for demand for fuel rises also due to rise in the frequency of the use of tractors & tillers for agriculture and horticulture activities in mid-summer months across Kashmir. Irrefutable fact is that demand for fuel rises also due to rise in demand for use of JCBs in both private and public construction works across Kashmir. So undoubtedly the shortage of fuel is a cause of concern for people also because of the timing of commencement of annual Hajj pilgrimage and annual amaranth yatra in Kashmir valley. The shortage in fuel at fuel station could even hit both the passenger and private transport services in both Kashmir valley and Jammu division. What matters the most is the fact that rumours about the shortage of fuel may also trigger unprecedented rise in fuel prices across Jammu & Kashmir. Before it is too later better for both the oil companies and as well as the Government to take stock of the supply position of both petrol and diesel in valley as fuel shortage may not only reduce the increasing frequency in the arrivals of tourists in Kashmir but it may also hit the agriculture and horticulture activities in valley. Reports about the comparatively higher rise in the shortage of diesel than petrol means that commercial and passengers transport services would be more severely hit than the private transport services. Since the media reports about the fuel shortage across J&K have been endorsed even by some regional heads of oil companies, an early decision on maintaining the supply positions at retail fuel station is the only way to address growing public concerns.
The reports about consumers moving to petrol pumps for fetching fuel in high quantities from the retail outlets may lead to a fuel crisis across Jammu & Kashmir. Though the responsibility to maintain the flow of fuel supply lies on the oil companies but intervention of the Government would by all standards of understandabilities unprecedentedly reduce the shortage of fuel at retail fuel stations in both Kashmir valley and Jammu division.
Though reports about no major issue of fuel supply at Indian Oil retail pumps are quite satisfying for both the people and both public and private transporters but the reports about fuel shortage at the HPCL and BPCL outlets are worrying for both the passenger and commercial transport operator both in Kashmir valley and Jammu division in view of the increasing arrival of tourist in Kashmir, the commencement of the annual amaranth yatra and the heightened agriculture and horticulture activities besides an unprecedented rise in the frequency of private and public construction works across Jammu & Kashmir. The reports about consumers moving to petrol pumps for fetching fuel in high quantities from the retail outlets may lead to a fuel crisis across Jammu & Kashmir. Though the responsibility to maintain the flow of fuel supply lies on the oil companies but intervention of the Government would by all standards of understandabilities unprecedentedly reduce the shortage of fuel at retail fuel stations in both Kashmir valley and Jammu division.
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