Public urged against panic buying of fuel
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, July 31 2026: In view of the steering-down strike launched by transporters of petroleum products, CAF&PD Director Y Nelson has appealed to the public not to resort to panic buying, assuring that the State has sufficient fuel stock to meet the current demand.

He made the statement during the eighth session of the "Meet the Press" programme organised by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) at the DIPR auditorium at Nityaipat Chuthek, today.

Responding to a media query during the function, Nelson said the State currently has sufficient fuel reserves, including seven days' stock of kerosene, 17 days' stock of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), nine days' stock of petrol, 25 days' stock of diesel and eight days' stock of LPG .

Public urged against panic buying of fuel

He said the State's daily requirement is 10 kilolitres (KL) of kerosene, 34 KL of ATF, 300 KL of petrol, 400 KL of diesel and 169 KL of LPG .

He further stated that the Government is in constant touch with the POL (Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants) transporters and is making efforts to ensure the uninterrupted transportation and supply of petroleum products.

Bobby Haobam, Officer on Special Duty (POL) of the CAF&PD Department, said that the IOCL depot at Malom currently has 540 KL of fuel in stock.

He further said that around 74 loaded fuel tankers are currently on the Imphal-Jiribam route and are expected to replenish the State's fuel supplies.

He, however, cautioned that the available fuel stocks would be depleted and eventually force the closure of retail fuel outlets if the public resorts to panic buying.

To another query, he said that LPG consumers who fail to complete their e-KYC by August 31 will no longer be eligible to receive LPG refills.

Meanwhile, Nelson said the Government launched the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 to ensure transparent, efficient and accountable distribution of foodgrains across the State.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), free rice has been provided to all NFSA beneficiaries since January 2023, and the scheme has been extended by the Government of India till December 2028, he added.

At present, around 21.13 lakh beneficiaries are covered under the scheme through 5.81 lakh ration cards consisting of beneficiaries belonging under AAY & PHH categories, he said.

Highlighting the department's digital initiatives, the CAF&PD Director said all 2,532 Fair Price Shops in the State have been equipped with electronic Point of Sale (ePOS) devices for biometric authentication and real-time monitoring of foodgrain distribution.

He further said that the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme enables eligible beneficiaries to access their foodgrain entitlement from any ePOS-enabled Fair Price Shop across the country.

Nelson also said that the Manipur State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and eight District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions are functioning under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, to ensure timely redressal of consumer grievances across the State.

He highlighted several reforms undertaken by the Legal Metrology wing, including the introduction of online verification and registration services under the Ease of Doing Business initiative, a proposal to rename the Weights and Measures Department as the Legal Metrology Department, the revision of verification and stamping fees, and the launch of a single online portal for verification and registration services.

He added that regular inspections of markets, petrol pumps and LPG distributors are being carried out to ensure compliance with legal metrology standards.

Several other CAF&PD officials also attended the programme.