CM Suvendu lifts ban on buying diesel in containers for essential sectors amid fuel crisis

In a major policy intervention aimed at stabilizing the state's economy, the West Bengal government under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has partially lifted the strict ban on purchasing and transporting diesel in containers and barrels. The restrictions were originally institutionalized as an emergency precautionary measure following severe global supply chain disruptions caused by the geopolitical conflict in Central Asia, which temporarily choked maritime oil transit through the critical Strait of Hormuz. 

Recognizing the mounting challenges faced by key functional sectors due to the rigid daily quotas set by oil companies, the state government decided to provide extensive regulatory relaxations. Informing citizens via a social media broadcast, Chief Minister Adhikari clarified that the blanket container ban was inadvertently handicapping daily public services, emergency medical response structures, and regional agrarian activities. 

Under the updated regulatory framework, crucial socio-economic sectors including healthcare facilities, agricultural operations, food supply chains, public utility services, educational institutions, and northern tea gardens have been completely insulated from the diesel rationing mandates. Individuals, organizational bodies, and contracted operators affiliated with these designated emergency departments can now purchase diesel directly in external containers, jars, or commercial barrels without facing the previously enforced daily maximum volumetric ceilings.