Bhubaneswar: In view of uncertainty over fuel supply amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Odisha government has directed all departments to make advance payments equivalent to two months’ fuel expenditure to designated fuel stations.

Official sources said departments and heads of departments have been permitted to make interest-free advance payments, based on estimated fuel expenses for two months, to fuel stations against an equivalent bank guarantee. The fuel stations, in turn, will furnish bank guarantees to ensure uninterrupted supply of fuel to government vehicles.

Sources in the Skill Development and Technical Education Department stated the department’s average monthly expenditure on petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) for its vehicles is around ₹1.54 lakh.

Accordingly, the department has asked Kalinga Fuel Station in Bhubaneswar to provide a bank guarantee of ₹3 lakh.

Meanwhile, escalating tensions in the Middle East, including a direct U.S.–Iran confrontation marked by missile and drone exchanges, have disrupted key regional infrastructure and triggered a spike in global oil prices, raising concerns over fuel supply stability.