On the 65th establishment day of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri praised the company for its significant role in ensuring fuel availability during recent natural disasters. Puri highlighted that the Petroleum Ministry established a war room to facilitate the movement of affected individuals amidst floods, rains, and landslides in Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Kerala.
Puri commended Indian Oil for its contributions in protecting Indian citizens from global fuel price hikes over the past three years. “Pehle Indian, Phir Oil! As the Indian Oil and Gas family celebrates its 65th Foundation Day, I want to emphasize the often-overlooked contributions of our energy soldiers. They ensure India remains well-supplied with petrol, diesel, and gas cylinders despite cyclones, storms, landslides, or floods,” Puri posted on X.
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He noted that in the past year, floods in Assam and severe rains leading to landslides in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Kerala have affected various parts of the country. Despite the efforts of NDRF HQ, SDRF, and other local and central forces working tirelessly for relief and rescue, the work of oil companies often goes unnoticed. Puri highlighted the swift response of Indian Oil and other companies in providing crucial support, including rushing ATF supplies to forward helipads from locations as distant as Dehradun, Saraswa, and Mohali to aid in the air evacuation of stranded locals and tourists in Uttarakhand.
A 24/7 war room was established by the Petroleum Ministry, staffed by senior officials and led by Indian Oil, to ensure affected individuals reached their destinations promptly. “The rescue operations were conducted in mission mode, embodying the whole-of-government approach advocated by PM Narendra Modi Ji during these challenging times,” Puri said.
Earlier in the day, Puri also expressed his gratitude to Indian Oil employees for their dedicated efforts and wished the organization continued success in its journey. According to the company, IOCL processes over 1.6 million barrels of crude oil and serves more than three crore Indians through an extensive network of over 61,000 customer touchpoints, including more than 37,000 fuel stations. It delivers over 26 lakh LPG cylinders daily, even to the most remote corners of India, and fuels over 2,300 flights, with more than half of the flights in Indian skies being refueled by Indian Oil.