Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress party in Kerala has launched a scathing attack on the Union Government, highlighting a glaring stagnation in India’s energy security infrastructure. Citing official data and parliamentary records from over a decade ago, the opposition has pointed out that India’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) capacity remains frozen at the same levels planned and initiated under the UPA government in 2014.

The 12-year stagnation

In a viral social media campaign, the Congress highlighted that as of May 2012, the then-Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, R P N Singh, had detailed a roadmap for a total storage capacity of 5.33 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) across three locations:

  • Visakhapatnam: 1.33 MMT
  • Mangalore: 1.5 MMT
  • Padur: 2.5 MMT

     

Fast forward to April 2026, and the total operational capacity remains exactly 5.33 MMT. While the global standard recommended by the International Energy Agency (IEA) is a 90-day reserve, India’s current strategic buffer covers only 9.5 days of crude consumption.

‘Photo albums Vs fuel reserves’

Taking a sharp dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress post sarcastically noted, "India's strategic oil reserves storage capacity in 2014 was 5.33 MMT. It is still 5.33 MMT in 2026. Meanwhile, Modi's photo albums have crossed 10 MMTB."

The acronym "MMTB" (Million Metric Tonne Books/Bytes) was used to mock the government’s extensive spending on self-promotion and public relations, contrasting it with the "zero growth" in physical energy security assets over the last 12 years.

The forgotten Phase II

While the government has frequently touted plans for Phase II—which includes additional storage at Chandikhol (4 MMT) and Padur (2.5 MMT) to add a further 6.5 MMT of capacity—ground reports and recent parliamentary queries reveal that these projects are still mired in delays. Despite being approved in 2021 under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, the expansion has yet to become operational, leaving India vulnerable to global supply shocks.

Why it matters

India currently imports over 88% of its crude oil. With recent geopolitical tensions causing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the lack of a larger strategic buffer has become a point of national concern.

The Congress argues that while the government focuses on digital branding and large-scale media events, the fundamental "hard infrastructure" required to protect the Indian economy from a global oil crisis has been neglected.