Andhra Pradesh Minister for Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Nadendla Manohar has said the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) had to increase prices of petrol and diesel due to the geopolitical situation.
He pointed out that the OMCs were bearing the brunt of the West Asia war as it affected crude oil prices, which soared to more than $100 a barrel. “The volatility in the global markets also resulted in tightened supply of the motor fuels,” he observed.
Speaking to The Hindu, on Friday (May 15, 2026), Mr. Manohar said “To meet the crisis, the Andhra Pradesh government is taking steps to increase ethanol blending and encouraging measures like car pooling to cut down the fuel consumption to some extent”.
Mr. Manohar said he was constantly reviewing the situation while insisting that there was no shortage of the fuels.
“A detailed planning is going on at the national level. We have a meeting with the Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas in New Delhi on May 18. The entire gamut of issues will be discussed”, he added.
