Hyderabad: Petrol pumps in Telugu states will not observe a holiday on Sunday from May 14. The single shift functioning - from 6 am to 6 pm on weekdays from May 15 - has also been put off as dealers have decided to defer their agitation and function as usual.
Petrol dealers in eight states, including TS and AP, had announced an agitation, demanding increase in dealers’ commission. However, dealers said they would still meet on May 16 and 17 to decide their future course of action.
Rajiv Amaram, president, Telangana Petroleum Dealers’ Association, said: “We have decided to put off the agitation for now keeping in view the public inconvenience. We will come out with our future course of action on May 18.”
The Confederation of Indian Petroleum Dealers Association had given a call to petrol pumps to observe every Sunday as holiday from May 14 and work in single shift, from 6 am to 6 pm, from May 15 on week days. The TS and AP dealers had extended support to the agitation.
However, the association gave a contrasting reason for strike. First, it claimed that the strike was called demanding increase in commission for dealers. Later, it said it was done in response to the call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on conservation of fuel through his Mann Ki Baat programme.
However, the union petroleum ministry took serious view of this issue and warned dealers of stringent action if they resorted to closure of pumps or worked single shift in the name of agitations.
However, Mr. Amaram maintained they were suffering huge losses due to lower commission offered by OMCs on sale of fuel and the Centre had promised in November 2016 to “increase our commission within a month”. “We are forced to close pumps on Sundays and work in single shift during weekdays to cut down our operational costs. Unless the Centre keeps its promise of increasing commission, it is not possible to have the pumps function as usual. We are hopeful of the Centre addressing our issues. at the earliest.
We will meet on May 16 and 17 to devise our future course of action," he said.
