NEW DELHI, JUN 12 (PTI): The government has capped diesel sales to a vehicle in a day at 200 litres and restricted industrial, commercial, and institutional users from buying petrol and diesel from petrol pumps in a bid to prevent local shortages amid global supply disruption, according to an official order.
Retail outlets can sell diesel only into a vehicle tank or PESO-approved container, and not more than 200 litres per customer or vehicle per day.
Also, industrial, commercial and institutional consumers will no longer be allowed to buy petrol or diesel from retail outlets. They must source their fuel from their own consumer pumps.
The restrictions, which will be in place for up to 90 days, follows abnormal demand growth, particularly that of diesel, in some pockets after bulk users started buying fuel from petrol pumps due to the pricing difference.
While diesel at petrol pumps costs Rs 95.20 a litre in Delhi, bulk sales are priced at Rs 134.50.
The differential arose as state-owned oil companies modulated retail prices to insulate common users from the spike in cost that followed the West Asia crisis in late February.
While bulk users such as telecom towers and industries using diesel for power generation and other feedstock needs are charged market price, the retail pump rates are way lower than cost.
Commercial customers like trucking companies and state road transport buses, too, had been tapping pumps for their needs, resulting in abnormal rise in demand in some pockets.
The price differential has also led to a shift in sales pattern with volumes shifting to PSU petrol pumps from private sector outlets that priced petrol and diesel at higher rates.
In May, three state-owned firms IOC, BPCL, and HPCL saw a 4.8 per cent jump in petrol sales and 6.4 per cent surge in diesel.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on June 11 issued the Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Temporary Regulation of Supply through Retail Outlets) Order, 2026, directing fuel retailers and oil marketing companies to curb bulk purchases from retail outlets for periods of up to 90 days at a time.
