Petrol pumps to go on strike

  • 19/06/2008

  • Statesman (Kolkata)

If the impending taxi strike was not enough, here comes another strike, which is set to hit both commuters and car owners hard. The West Bengal Petroleum Dealers Association has called a three-day strike in all the 2,000 odd petrol pumps in the state and the city from 30 June onwards in protest against the alleged "forcible supply' of costly branded fuels by an oil Public Sector Undertaking (PSU). Announcing their decision, the West Bengal Petroleum Dealers Association's general secretary, Mr Joydeb Sarkar, said: "Petroleum dealers in most rural areas and in some urban places are being forced to purchase branded fuels from the PSU. The decision to observe strike was taken at the association's working committee meeting today.' He, however, refused to divulge the name of the PSU. "The oil company is forcing consumers to buy petrol and diesel at a premium and farmers in rural areas, too, are being forced to purchase costly branded fuels. "The strike call has been given in the interest of consumers,' Mr Sarkar said. He also alleged that officials of the oil PSU have allegedly misbehaved with two petrol dealers in Haldia a few days back for declining to accept branded fuels. A meeting was held at the office of the state agriculture minister, Mr Naren De, to address the problem. Mr De had urged three oil PSUs to stop supplying costly branded fuels. "Two companies have stopped supply of branded fuels, but the third company has paid no heed to Mr De's instruction,' Mr Sarkar added.