Hyderabad: Differences have cropped up between petroleum dealers over the reason for the closure of petrol pumps on Sundays from May 14.
While the Consortium of Indian Petroleum Dealers Association (CIPDA) claimed that petrol pumps will be closed on Sunday to conserve oil as per the call given by Prime Minister Narenda Modi in Mann Ki Baat programme, the dealers in Telugu states claimed that they had supported the closure only to demand an increase in the dealer’s commission.
The bandh covers only private petrol pumps and not those owned by oil marketing companies. Dealers in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh wondered as to how the fuel could be conserved just by shutting petrol pumps on Sundays and they claim that such a practice would only lead to rush on Saturdays.
They also sought to know why only eight states, including TS and AP, should shut their petrol pumps for conserving fuel if such a call was given by the Prime Minister.
The TS and AP petroleum dealers have announced agitation programme last week to protest the failure of the Centre in increasing dealers commission as promised in November last year.
“We have announced no purchase of fuel agitation on May 10 and sell fuel only till previous stocks last. We have decided to close pumps every Sunday from May 14 and run pumps only in single shifts from 6 am to 6 pm from May 15. Since the Centre was not increasing dealers margin, we are trying to cut our operational costs by doing this,” said Rajiv Amaram, president, Telangana Petroleum Dealers’ Association. “There are no official orders on this. This is based on PM’s observations in Mann ki Baat programme. The OMCs too did not clarify on this so far,” he added.
The CIPDA, which has a significant presence in 8 states, including Telugu states, however linked it to Prime Minister’s speech.
