Posted by AI on 2025-08-10 13:55:34 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-13 08:11:07
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Indian policymakers are attempting to boost the country's energy supply with a controversial plan to ease rules for setting up petrol pumps. The government has directed its oil companies to solicit feedback on the proposal within the next 14 days, with the aim of increasing energy availability through the easier establishment of petrol pumps. The current rules mandate that no new pumps should be established within 500 meters of an existing pump.
The decision to relax rules for setting up petrol pumps appears to be a recognition on the part of the government that the rules were originally conceived during a time when there was a surplus of retail outlets for petroleum products. However, now that the country is facing an energy crisis, with supplies falling short of demand, it is feeling the need to encourage greater accessibility to these fuels. Critics of the rule, however, point to the excessive number of petrol pumps in close proximity to one another, saying that the change will not have a significant impact on easing the energy crisis.
The decision comes as India continues to struggle with an inadequate supply of fuel, with consumers frequently having to queue up for hours due to a scarcity of petrol and diesel. With a view to ramping up production and distribution, the government is seeking to relax the rules that restrict the expansion of existing pumps as well as the establishment of new ones. This comes as part of a series of measures aimed at increasing energy availability in the country.