Tell truth about fuel, LPG supply: Ashok Gehlot to Rajasthan govt

Former Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday accused the Rajasthan government of “misleading” the public over the reported fuel shortage situation, alleging that petrol, diesel and LPG supplies were being rationed in parts of the state, particularly in Jodhpur.

In a strongly worded statement, Gehlot said the government should present the real situation honestly instead of downplaying the crisis, so that people could prepare themselves and make alternative arrangements if necessary.

“This is a time of crisis. Rather than speaking lies and creating confusion, the government should tell the truth so that people can prepare themselves and make alternative arrangements if required,” the former chief minister said.

Gehlot claimed that several visitors from Jodhpur who met him at his residence informed him that fuel supplies were severely restricted at many petrol pumps, while some outlets had reportedly run completely dry.

“People travelling from Jodhpur to Jaipur are being forced to refuel three to four times because petrol pumps are allegedly refusing to provide fuel worth more than Rs 1,000 at a time,” he alleged.

The senior Congress leader also claimed that shortages were not limited to petrol and diesel, alleging that LPG cylinders had become unavailable for several consecutive days in some localities.

According to Gehlot, the state government has continued to insist that there is no shortage of petrol, diesel or cooking gas, but petrol pump operators were allegedly citing verbal instructions to ration supplies.

“Petrol pump operators are saying they have been verbally instructed to limit fuel supply. This is leading to long queues outside petrol pumps,” he said.

Referring to reports that nearly 40 per cent of petrol pumps in Jodhpur had run dry, Gehlot accused the government of concealing the seriousness of the situation instead of communicating openly with the public.

He also warned that rumours and misinformation surrounding the fuel situation could trigger panic and confusion among residents if the government failed to clarify the actual ground reality.

The Rajasthan government has not yet officially responded to Gehlot’s allegations.

With IANS inputs