Chennai: A majority of the petrol pumps in the metropolis shooed away customers with Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes after they were demonetized by the Union Government and let only those possessing Rs 100 notes and ready to use their credit or debit cards for filling fuel.
A few outlets, especially the ones owned by private company Shell, erected barricades outside their petrol pumps and let customers riding two-wheelers in only after confirming that they had notes with denomination of Rs 100 or would use their plastic cards for the transaction.
Though the government and the oil companies announced that petrol pumps would accept the notes, the pumps refused to do so by insisting that people fill petrol for Rs 500 if they need to use the note.
Auto drivers were the worst affected lot since a few outlets forced them to fill fuel for Rs 500 or Rs 1,000 and those protested the move were asked to leave the petrol pumps.
“I had just one Rs 500 note and I went to a petrol pump in Guindy to fill petrol for Rs 300 and keep the remaining Rs 200 for my expenses. But the petrol pump employees insisted that I fill fuel for Rs 500 or I should leave the station. I had to come empty handed,” Radhakrishnan, an auto driver, told Deccan Chronicle. Mr Radhakrishnan was not alone as thousands of auto rickshaw drivers faced the same fate as that of him on Wednesday and the trend is likely to continue for the next few days.
Raj Verma, a marketing professional who rides a two-wheeler, was forced to use his credit card to fill petrol since the petrol pump refused to accept Rs 500 denomination note.
“They simply refused to accept. Then they gave me an option of using my credit card if I have to fill petrol and I had to use it reluctantly,” Mr Verma said.
However, petrol pump owners and managers expressed inability in entertaining customers with notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 as they do not have money to tender change.
A senior official of a state-owned oil company said though they have directed all retail outlets to accept these notes till Friday midnight, petrol pump owners have expressed their helplessness in tendering change. “For example, I was told people come with Rs 500 notes and fill petrol only for Rs 100 and expect change of Rs 400. The owners say they have shortage of Rs 100 notes and that is the reason why they return many customers,” the official said.
Oil companies tell petrol pumps to Accept notes
State-owned oil companies on Wednesday urged retail outlets and CNG stations to accept Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination currency till November 11.
“All retail outlets and CNG stations of Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum, Gas authority of India Ltd and other public sector oil companies will accept Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination currency from the consumers for the purchase of petroleum products by them at the retail outlets/ CNG stations till midnight of 11th November 2016,” a statement from the Indian Oil Corporation said.
All LPG distributors of Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum will accept Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination currency from the consumers for the purchase of LPG by them at the LPG Distributorships till midnight of 11th November 2016, the statement said.
It also added that there is no shortage of petroleum products. Consumers need not panic and may purchase only the quantity of fuel required to meet their need.
Though the statement says all retail outlets will accept the notes, only company owned company operated outlets of IOC were accepting the notes.
