EconomyFriday, 12 June 2026·The Hindu - Economy
Government restricts petrol and diesel sales to industrial and commercial consumers through retail outlets
On June 11, 2026, the government barred industrial and commercial consumers from buying petrol and diesel from retail outlets and capped diesel dispensing at 200 litres a day.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On June 11, 2026, the government issued an order barring industrial and commercial consumers from purchasing petrol and diesel from retail outlets, after a sharp rise in sales was reported.
Key specifics
- The order is valid for 90 days unless revoked earlier.
- Retail outlets cannot dispense more than 200 litres of diesel in a day to either a consumer or a vehicle.
- Industrial diesel is about ₹40 per litre costlier than retail diesel, according to the report.
- On May 27, the government observed an approximately 29% decline in bulk sales as demand shifted to retail outlets.
- Between April and May, diesel consumption rose by about 4.7% and petrol consumption by about 6%, based on provisional government data.
Exam lens
TNPSC economy and energy question type: policy measure, price differential and consumption trend, with 90 days, 200 litres, ₹40 per litre and 29% bulk-sales decline as the key one-liners.