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Regular-article-logo Wednesday, 07 May 2025

OIL STOCKS ADEQUATE TO POWER WAR MACHINE 

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FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Published 24.05.02, 12:00 AM
New Delhi, May 24 :    New Delhi, May 24:  The government today announced that it has stockpiled enough oil reserves to take care of a war with Pakistan. 'We have enough supplies to face any eventuality. There would not be any shortages,' petroleum minister Ram Naik told newspersons here today. Naik said India had enough to supply the needs of the defence forces, railways and the normal consuming public for 60 days, without fresh imports or production. The government had started building up oil reserves at various points in case war or some other unforeseen situation disrupts oil supplies either from abroad or even our own deep sea oil wells. Last year the government had prepared a detailed action plan to distribute oil products from local reserve pools in case war, floods, earthquakes or other calamities create a disruption in the normal road and rail transportation system for petrol products. This plan as well as a formal plan to create a national strategic reserve on the lines of the huge strategic reserves which the US maintains is likely to be placed before the Cabinet soon for a formal clearance. In fact, Naik told reporters that he would visit the US next month to study the strategic oil reserves concept developed by the Americans to meet any eventuality. Official sources, however, confirmed that the ground work on building this reserve and activating the distress distribution plan has already started ahead of any formal Cabinet clearance. Reserve points have been identified and stocks have already been moved so that even if rail service is disrupted due to bombing or due to diversion of rolling stock for military use, there would not be any oil shortage in any part of the country. Sources said India has also already diversified its sources of oil supplies, not limiting itself to imports from West Asia alone as sea routes from these oil producing nations could be affected due to war.    
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